Destiny of the Stars
by debruk34
Summary: As Hermione searches for her parents and prepares for her final year at Hogwarts, a request from Professor McGonagall helps her discover a new Draco Malfoy. As they learn about each other, they discover love and that things are not always as they appear.
1. Hermione's Quest

**I began this story almost a year ago and then gave up on it because I couldn't figure out exactly how I wanted to get to where I wanted to go. I finally figured out how I want the story to go, but in order to get there I am changing some things. If you read this story in the past, there will be a lot of similarities, but also some differences. I got some helpful feedback from another site and am going to make changes accordingly. This will be the only site that I will be posting **_**Destiny of the Stars**_**. **

**I'm sorry to anyone who was reading this story and thought it was abandoned. One time when I was thinking about updating, I reread the first chapter and realized that it was a mess and I couldn't continue letting everyone read a mess. I'm in the process of fixing the first seven chapters and will be breaking them up and making them shorter and much better (hopefully). Those seven chapters will become at least 14 new chapters. One major change is that the rating is going to increase. What was once a T will now be an M. I will eventually include lemons in the story and there will be some language. Please do not read if you are under 18. **

Summary: As Hermione searches for her parents and prepares for her final year at Hogwarts, a request from Professor McGonagall helps her discover a new Draco Malfoy. As they learn about each other, they discover love and that things are not always as they appear. Post-DH, but ignores the Epilogue. AU, lots of fluff and a nice Draco!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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_**Destiny of the Stars**_

_**Chapter One ~ Hermione's Quest**_

It was dark and overcast outside the strange looking house, better known as the Burrow. A heavy fog had settled, bringing with it a depressing mood. The carefree days of summer should have been a time of celebration since the Second Wizarding War had ended about two and a half months before; but each day that passed only brought more despair to one witch.

Inside the Burrow, Hermione Granger, a Muggle-born witch, was sitting on the living room floor using the coffee table as a desk. Her quill scratched quickly across the parchment as she wrote a letter to the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. The floor, couch and coffee table were all covered in both Muggle and wizarding books and many pieces of parchment. A cup of tea sat forgotten between a pile of books and a pot of ink.

The Burrow, home to the Weasley family, was quiet that summer, which was a change from the flurry of activity that almost always surrounded the house. Hermione had spent almost every day in the living room or in the seclusion of her temporary room on the third floor of the house.

Hermione, along with Harry Potter, were unofficial members of the Weasley family, though it appeared that Harry would become an official member of the family someday when he married the youngest Weasley, Ginny. At one point Hermione had thought that she would marry into the family too, but that idea no longer seemed likely. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were destined to be friends and nothing more.

Harry and Ginny came inside the Burrow just as Hermione was finishing her letter. Ginny flopped onto an open chair and Harry sat on the floor at her feet. Ginny looked at the letter and asked Hermione, "So do you think Kingsley will be able to help find your parents?"

Hermione shrugged and replied, "He told me in his last letter that he's trying to arrange a Portkey to Australia for me. He's already given me all the resources he can, but he isn't able to search any better than I am."

Hermione had used magic to modify her parent's memories and convince them to move to Australia and also to forget that they had a daughter. She knew her non-magical parents would be targeted in the war and she wanted them to be protected. Hermione had been devoting almost all of her time to scouring through books and using all possible resources to locate her parents so she could bring them home to England.

Hermione reached for the forgotten cup of tea and took a sip. She grimaced at the cold temperature, before using her wand to warm it up again so she could finish it. She looked at Harry sitting next to her and asked, "Where have you two been this morning?"

Harry looked a bit uneasy as he said, "We went with Ron to visit Luna. We left them alone to come back here."

Hermione sighed and said, "Oh Harry, don't worry about what I think of Ron and Luna. I'm happy that they're dating. How many times do I have to tell you that Ron and I weren't meant to be together?" Harry shrugged his shoulders in reply.

Hermione continued, "Look, Ron and I talked yesterday and really, you have nothing to worry about. I love him; but he's like a brother to me, just like you are. I thought there would be more, but once we finally got together and once the emotional rollercoaster of the war was done, it just didn't feel right. We're still best friends and he and Luna are good for each other. I know there'll be someone else out there for me." Hermione smiled sincerely as she reached her hand out and gave Harry's hand a squeeze.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand and said, "I'm sure your right Hermione, you usually are."

Ginny laughed and said, "Usually? She's always right." Harry laughed quietly in agreement.

Hermione rolled her eyes before saying, "Alright you two. Enough teasing me. I'm not always right. I need more tea, do either of you want any?" Hermione stood and stretched. Both Harry and Ginny nodded and Hermione set out to the kitchen. She returned a couple of minutes later with three cups of tea on a tray that was floating in front of her. She nearly dropped the tray when her concentration was interrupted. Four brown owls were arriving at the window bearing letters with the Hogwarts seal. She quickly lowered the tray to the coffee table and ran to open the window.

"It is too early to be getting our Hogwarts letters. I wonder what they are." Hermione said as she removed her letter and Ron's from the owls. Harry and Ginny took theirs too before the owls left after eating a treat. They all opened the letters and read them. Harry and Ginny switched letters when they finished reading.

Hermione cleared a spot on the couch before sitting down to open hers. She drank her cup of tea as she read.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_The Ministry of Magic has decided that the wrong emphasis was placed on education last year. Since many students were not able to complete their education last year or sit for the N.E.W.T.s, everyone will be given the following four options._

_Option One: You may return to Hogwarts to complete your Seventh Year or retake it if you feel the need._

_Option Two: You may sit for your N.E.W.T.s if you feel you are prepared enough to pass. _

_Option Three: You may attend Hogwarts and study new N.E.W.T. subjects as the career you were previously working toward may not be your ambition anymore. _

_Option Four: You may skip your final year at Hogwarts if you feel you are prepared enough for a career with just your O.W.L.s. _

_A fifth option that is available to only you, Mr. Potter and the youngest Mr. Weasley, is to go straight into Auror training. The Minister has determined that you three have enough experience to skip your N.E.W.T.s if you decide to choose this career option. _

_Please respond within the week as to which option you will be choosing so arrangements may be made._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

After sitting quietly for a few minutes after reading her letter, Hermione looked up and said, "Wow. Well I know I'm going back. I can't imagine not finishing my education. What does your letter say Ginny?"

Ginny took her letter back from Harry and scanned it once more. "It doesn't give me the same options that you have, but even though I didn't finish my Sixth Year, the Ministry is still letting me advance to Seventh Year; and I also have the option to change my N.E.W.T. studies. I'm not going to change my studies though. I really want to play Quidditch so there isn't any need for N.E.W.T.s but I'll take them anyway. Mum would have my head if I didn't," Ginny said with a grimace at the thought of Mrs. Weasley's reaction.

Hermione then turned to Harry and asked, "Are you going to go back Harry?"

Harry scratched the scar on his forehead out of habit and shrugged as he replied, "I don't know. I still want to be an Auror so I guess I could go straight to training. I'm not sure I want to jump right into that though. I really haven't had a normal or relaxing year so maybe returning for Seventh Year would be a welcome break. I guess I'll think about it for a while."

"I can't imagine not having you and Ron with me at school, but you of all people deserve to choose your own path. Your whole future's open now that Voldemort is gone. I know you'll make the best decision for you, Harry," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Thanks Hermione," Harry replied.

Hermione picked up a fresh piece of parchment and her quill and said, "I'm going to write my letter to Professor McGonagall to let her know that I'll be going back and that I want to continue my studies so I can hopefully join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement someday." Hermione quickly wrote her reply and went to the kitchen to find Pig so she could send it back to Hogwarts.

When she returned to the living room, Harry gave her a curious look. "You want to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? I thought you wanted to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. You know- give a voice to those who can't defend themselves, fight for the rights of house-elves, and try to advance Spew?" Harry questioned from his new position on the couch.

Hermione gave him an exasperated look as she sat down next to him. "It is S.P.E.W. Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare; why can't you and Ron remember that? But anyway, I don't think I can advance it. The only house-elf that ever wanted to take advantage of bettering his situation was Dobby, and even he didn't seem to want what I thought he deserved. I'll be able to better serve the house-elves and other magical creatures from a position of greater authority. I think changing the minds of the wizards and witches that own the house-elves is the best way to help them. If the owners of the house-elves tell them they'll be paid and have vacations, they'll accept it without as many problems. I'd like to try to get a position with the Wizengamot," Hermione replied.

"I thought you told Scrimgeour last year that you didn't want a career in Magical Law," Harry said, confused as to why she would change her career goals.

Hermione said quietly, "I didn't really consider it until after the war was over. I don't want to be an Auror; chasing dark wizards isn't for me. But I still want to play a part in making sure they get what they deserve. I want to make certain justice is served. If I wasn't a witch, I'd probably be interested in Muggle Law. I don't have to change any of my N.E.W.T. courses though; I'm already taking everything that I need for a career in Magical Law Enforcement. Now if everything else in my life could line up as well, I'd be the happiest witch in the world."

Harry placed his hand on Hermione's knee and said, "You know we'll help you in any way we can. We'll go with you to Australia to bring your parents home if you want us to. Have you had any luck with those telephone books? Have you tried using magic to locate their names in them?" Harry asked as he nodded toward one of the large piles of books on the floor.

Kingsley had been able to get copies of all the Muggle telephone books in Australia for Hermione. She had been sorting through them trying to find any mention of her parent's assumed identities. They had never listed their home information before so she was searching instead for their dental practice. It was proving difficult because she didn't know what they had named the practice or where it was. She was looking up any combination she could think of for Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

"I've tried using locator spells and searching spells, but nothing seems to work. The only thing that does work is to open the books and search the Muggle way. I've been searching for every combination of names from Dr. Wendell Wilkins and Dr. Monica Wilkins to The Wilkins Doctors; but none of the names has yielded any results so far. I'm also looking for different spelling variations for the names. I've gone through all the telephone books that apply to New South Wales and Victoria. I still have the books for South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland to look through. There are thousands of telephone books and I'm afraid that I'll look in one and miss finding them. And then there's the concern that they may not even be going by the names Wendell and Monica Wilkins," she ended with worry in her eyes.

Ginny got up from her chair and crossed the room to the couch. "Aww, Hermione, everything will work out for you. You'll find your parents soon. Harry and I'll help you look this afternoon. I'm sure you could even get Ron to help you sometime. We all want you to be happy and to find your parents," Ginny said while giving Hermione a hug.

"Thanks Ginny. I think I need to take a break for a few more minutes to get my mind straight. I need to find my parents and then maybe I can focus on the other aspects of my life. Who knows, maybe I'll even find love somewhere!" Hermione said jokingly.

"Now that's the kind of distraction you need, thinking of love. I know there's a man out there for you. Maybe you should ask Trelawney if she sees anyone in your future. She's been known to get at least one thing right in the past!" Ginny teased and gently nudged Hermione's arm.

"I'm pretty sure anyone could predict the future better than she can. Hey Harry, why don't you give it go? You've made up some great things before; I'll bet you can tell me my future," Hermione said while rolling her eyes and laughing.

Harry laughed with her. He had relaxed quite a bit since the war had ended and joked a lot more. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and said, "Okay, I'll try. Accio Divination book." The book flew down from Ron's room. He caught the book and began to cough at the dust that flew off the cover. He opened the book and flipped through the pages before saying, "Let's see. You are a Virgo, ruled by the planet Mercury. You would do well with someone who is also ruled by Mercury. You were born in a year of yin so you need to find someone born in a year of yang so you have balance."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked skeptically and tried to peer over his shoulder at the book.

"Uh, no, not at all. Let me see your tea cup. Maybe I'll be able to read the tea leaves," Harry replied as he turned the pages in the book until he found the section on reading tea leaves.

Hermione took the last sip of her tea and then passed her empty tea cup to him and shook her head. "Let's see if you can find anything worthwhile in that."

Harry stared into the cup. He turned it around and then flipped to a different page in the book. "Um, huh. I see a daisy, which means new love. Hey that's good. Um, maybe I see a fountain, which means great happiness. And I think that might be a witch; that means a strange occurrence. Ha, that in itself is a strange occurrence, a witch got a witch. Divination really is rubbish. Sorry Hermione, I can't tell you anything," Harry shrugged as he held out the tea cup for Hermione to take.

"It's okay Harry; at least you didn't see the Grim in my tea leaves. Trelawney would have! Thanks for trying; I wasn't expecting anything, because as you said, 'Divination really is rubbish.' At least you made my future sound positive—new love and great happiness; even a strange occurrence might not be a bad thing." Hermione smiled at Harry and took her tea cup back. Looking in it she thought, 'new love and great happiness, I could really use both of those.'

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If you're reading this for the first time, or have read this before, please review and let me know what you think!


	2. McGonagall's Request

A/N: As of 2/19/2012, _**Destiny of the Stars**_ has changed and all previous chapters were deleted so the story could be improved. I hope you all enjoy the new and hopefully improved, _**Destiny of the Stars.**_

_**Note: Draco is OOC in this story.  
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_**Chapter Two ~ McGonagall's Request**_

True to their word, Harry and Ginny helped Hermione search through telephone books that afternoon. They spent hours looking and hardly managed to put a dent in one of the piles of books. Eventually the couple gave up and wandered outside to take a walk. While they were gone, Hermione received another letter from Hogwarts. She quickly opened it and read it.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I am pleased that you will be joining us again for your Seventh Year. Since your class will be joining the class below yours we have decided to choose the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl by comparing all of the grades from everyone's Sixth Year so as not to show favoritism. Since you have had the highest scores in each year you will be Head Girl. The position of Head Boy has been given to the boy with the next highest grades to yours through his Sixth Year. Draco Malfoy will be returning to retake his Seventh Year as he wants to change his career goals. _

_I know that in the past you and Mr. Malfoy have not gotten along with one another. I know that you have differences and they will not be easy to overcome. I am requesting that you and Mr. Malfoy communicate with one another this summer and try to work through your problems. We will have the unique opportunity this year to unite the school and to build positive relationships in a post-Voldemort world. I need you to work together. I encourage you and Mr. Malfoy to share with each other your past experiences to understand one another better. _

_I look forward to your return to Hogwarts._

_Sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Hermione read the letter a couple of times before she picked up her wand and levitated it in front of her. She stared at the parchment trying to figure out what to do with McGonagall's request. The letter floated in front of her and she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Her eyes focused on the name Malfoy before she closed her eyes. She was confused as she thought, 'Professor McGonagall's right. Fighting with Malfoy will not help to build positive relationships. We must present a united front; but how do I begin to trust him?'

"Oi, what's this?" Ron asked as he came into the living room and plucked the floating letter from the air and read it. When he finished he began to rant, "You need to overcome your differences with Malfoy? Understand where the git is coming from? You know where he is coming from; the sniveling little ferret was a Death Eater. Don't trust anything he says Hermione. I don't want you to get hurt; I care about you."

Hermione sighed and said, "Thanks for watching out for me Ron. But I'm going to do as she asks. Maybe there's more to his story than we know. If he doesn't put forth the effort to do as Professor McGonagall requests then I'll know he hasn't changed. But I'll give him a chance to prove himself. He did try not to identify us when we were at the manor."

"But he just sat there as you were tortured. Harry and I weren't in the room, did Malfoy torture you too? Don't lie to me Hermione," Ron said sternly.

"Malfoy did not torture me. That was solely Bellatrix. No one else, _just Bellatrix_," she replied.

Ron glared and asked, "Then why didn't he stop her? I'll bet he just sat there and laughed."

Hermione threw her hands up in the air and replied, "What was Malfoy supposed to do? Tell her to let me go? Beg her to stop torturing me? Stand up and declare his love for me? Ron, even if we were friends he wouldn't have been able to stop her. For one thing, he would've been seen as a traitor and probably killed for speaking out against his aunt; and for another, Bellatrix was crazy and would've continued no matter what anyone said. She was upset about the sword and was going to torture me until I told her what she wanted to know. Besides, I'm Muggle-born and that in itself was enough reason for her to torture me. I saw Malfoy during it all. He wasn't watching, he wasn't laughing. He looked scared and was cringing from time to time. I swear I even heard him say sorry under his breath when he was sent to the cellar to get Griphook," Hermione told Ron.

"But he fought when Harry and I escaped. He fired his own spells at us; he didn't fight with us, he fought against us," Ron tried again to dissuade her.

"I know, but again, what was he supposed to do? I'm not trying to defend him, but I _have_ looked at that situation from all angles. I still have nightmare about Bellatrix and I've spent a lot of time analyzing what happened, trying to figure out if we could've done something different. In the end it worked out for the best; Harry got Malfoy's wand and we got information on another Horcrux." Hermione sighed and dropped her head into her hands. She and Ron sat silent for a minute, both reflecting on that night.

She slowly raised her head and looked up at Ron who was still clutching the letter in his hand and standing next to her. She stood up and gently pried the letter out of his hand and said, "I just have this feeling that maybe he isn't as bad as we always thought he was. I'll let you know if he's still the same old Malfoy we've always known. However, I'm going to give him the chance to prove that he's changed."

"And I'll assume he's the same slimy git he always was until I die. But I guess I won't try to stop you from contacting him. Just remember to be careful," Ron said quietly.

Hermione gave Ron a small smile and a kiss on the cheek as she went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Weasley prepare dinner all the while thinking of what she would say to Malfoy. As she worked she thought, 'Maybe I should try to call him Draco instead of Malfoy. It might be a good first step in trying to mend our past.' Hermione looked at the woman that she considered a second mother and decided to ask the older witch's advice.

"Mrs. Weasley? May I ask your advice?" Hermione asked as she set the table.

"Hermione dear, for the hundredth time, please call me Molly. And of course you may ask me anything," she replied.

Hermione nodded and said, "Professor McGonagall has requested that Draco Malfoy, who is Head Boy this year, and I try to get along with one another. She wants us to communicate with each other this summer and share our pasts and try to work through our differences. He's been so horrible to us in the past that I just don't know what to do; but I also want to give him a chance in case he has changed. What would you do in my situation?" she asked.

Molly sighed and thought for a minute while stirring a pot before she said, "I've been able to see many people change during their lives. Not everyone is able to change, but I would never write someone off before allowing them the chance to prove themselves. Professor McGonagall would never ask you to do something that will put you in danger. War changes people and sometimes it can show people the error of their ways. I noticed a change in Lucius and Narcissa after the war was over. They didn't fight in the final battle and they even seemed at peace afterwards. Remember, Narcissa saved Harry's life, which helped to bring about Voldemort's downfall. It's very possible that Draco has changed also. If I were you, I would approach communication with him with an open mind."

Hermione mulled over Molly's words before replying, "Thank you. That's what I was thinking too. I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't making a big mistake." Hermione gave Molly a hug and helped her put the food onto the table.

When Hermione was getting ready for bed that night in Bill Weasley's old room, a beautiful eagle owl tapped on the window. Hermione opened it and removed the letter that was addressed to her. The owl left before she even had a chance to look to for a treat for it. Shaking her head she sat on the bed and opened the letter.

_Dear Miss Hermione Granger,_

_I wasn't exactly sure how to address a letter to you, since I don't know how my letter will be received. Congratulations on getting Head Girl. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it would be you. I honestly believe you deserve it. You're probably wondering why I'm returning to Hogwarts this year since I did actually attend my Seventh Year last year. _

_My previous N.E.W.T studies were not focused on anything since I really didn't feel I had a future outside of what the Dark Lord wanted. I've decided that I want to pursue a career in Magical Law Enforcement. I really have enjoyed being a Prefect. I know that it may have seemed to you that I took advantage of my power, but it really was only toward Gryffindor and mostly just toward your group of friends. That will not be the case this year, I promise. I enjoy discovering the truth and following rules and having order. I would like to become a member of the Wizengamot. I don't want to be an Auror where I would have to catch wizards, but rather I would like to play a part in bringing order to the Wizarding world. I have always done well in classes, second only to you. _

_You may be confused as to why I am not being mean to you. You're probably even suspicious as to my real intentions. All I can say is that I've changed. I'm not the same Draco Malfoy that made your life hell. He doesn't exist anymore. Even without Professor McGonagall's request, I was going to try to mend my relationship with you this year. It isn't easy for me to be humble. I was taught that was a weakness, so please bear with me. The last couple of months have been the best of my life and I have you, Harry and Ron to thank for that. Not only did the three of you physically save my life, but you gave me a chance at a real future. So, thank you._

_Putting aside our Slytherin and Gryffindor differences, I really do want to get to know the real you better. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have of me. Since the war is over, what have you been doing? I look forward to your response._

_Sincerely,_

_Draco_

Hermione leaned back on the bed flabbergasted. Her thoughts raced, 'Draco Malfoy is taking the first step toward mending our relationship? He's thanking us for saving his life? He seemed truly sincere, but is it a farce? I can't help but question his intentions.' She folded his letter and put it in her trunk not wanting to share it with everyone else yet. She curled up in bed thinking of what Draco had written and what she would write back to him. Hours later, she eventually fell into an uneasy sleep knowing she would reply in the morning.

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Early the following morning Draco awoke to an annoying little owl flying in circles around his head. It took him a minute to get ahold of the owl to remove the letter and a book from its leg. As soon as it was free from its burden, the owl flew around his room twice and then flew out the window he had left opened last night.

He leaned against his pillows, placed the book on the bed, opened the letter and began reading.

_Dear Draco,_

_I spent most of the night awake trying to sort out your letter and what I wanted to say to you. I don't know where to start. Your letter really took me by surprise. As much as I would like to believe that you are being truthful, I can't; it isn't in my nature to trust you.. You've always been a Slytherin through and through and I keep thinking that this is just one more trick. I'll play along for now, but don't think for one moment that I've forgotten our past._

_Professor McGonagall wants us to share our past experiences with each other, so I am enclosing a copy of the account that Harry, Ron and I gave of the demise of Voldemort for you to keep. The account is so long that it was made into a book. It explains everything that happened the past seven years in relation to ridding the world of Voldemort. For the last seven years, fighting with Harry and Ron against him and trying to end him was my life. We decided that there would be so many people who would want to know what really happened that we would give one testimony and after that hopefully no one would bother us about it again. We're all surprised that we lived to tell our story. If you actually want to know about my past, read the book._

_Since the war has ended, I have been spending my time at the Weasley's home doing some research. _

_Saving your life was the right thing to do and I'm glad we did it; but I hope you won't make me regret it. I'll pass on your thanks to Harry and Ron; however, I'm not sure they'll be accepting of it. _

_I'm also going to be studying for a career in Magical Law Enforcement. I too like rules and order and want to make sure that others follow them, so I am hoping to join the Wizengamot also. Not only will we be Head students together, but also we'll be sharing all of our classes. Congratulations to you too on becoming Head Boy._

_As you're able to read about what I've been through the last few years, I would like to know the same about you. What was it like to live in the Dark world? I await your response._

_Sincerely, _

_Hermione_

Draco wasn't surprised by her lack of trust in him. He had been horrible to her and her friends in the past. Her letter was very cordial, but guarded. He closed his eyes and tried to picture Hermione. He could see her analyzing the letter he had written and trying to figure out where the trap was. There wasn't one, but she wouldn't believe that yet. He could practically see her bent over the parchment, concentrating hard on her perfect writing. He imagined her lip caught between her teeth as she carefully considered her words. He could picture the way her nose would crinkle and her forehead would crease when she got stuck. He had been thinking a lot about her lately. There was something about her that always had drawn him to her. He wanted to mend their past and change their future.

Draco read through her question once more and thought, 'What was it like to live in the Dark world? It was worse than hell. How can I describe that to her?'

He got off his bed and began to pace the length of his room as he thought. He absentmindedly rubbed his thumb across his left forearm. He reflected on his past, focusing especially on what happened during the previous two years. He was brought out of his memories when he became aware of the raised skin under his thumb. He stopped pacing in the middle of his room and his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the now faded Dark Mark.

Draco dropped his arm to his side and squeezed his fist tightly as he let out his breath through clenched teeth. He walked to his desk and removed a leather bound book. He stared at it for a few minutes then placed it on his desk. He ran his fingers across the cover and whispered, "The answer to her question is in here. It scares me to send this to her, but it's the only way she'll ever trust me."

Moving away from his desk, he settled himself in a chair by his window and read the defeat of Voldemort account that Hermione had sent him. When he finished the book, he found a piece of parchment and began to write. About an hour later he was calling for his owl to take a package to Hermione. He watched as the owl flew away, hoping that he was doing the right thing.

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A/N: Please review! Thank you!


	3. Draco's Diary Part One

_**Note: Draco will be OOC in this story.**_

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_**Chapter Three ~ Draco's Diary Part One**_

During the whole morning and now early afternoon, Hermione had once again taken over the living room with books. Ginny and Harry had gone to Diagon Alley to look at some new Quidditch supplies and to visit George in his shop. Ron was probably off with Luna somewhere and Mrs. Weasley was visiting Bill and Fleur. Hermione was getting more and more frustrated each time the telephone books wouldn't yield any results for her.

She flipped through the pages of one of the books and read through all the names in the section of dentists. When the name of the last dentist, a Steven Zimmer, appeared in the book she sighed and thought, 'I really hope I did the memory charm right and that they are Wendell and Monica Wilkins or I'll never find them. I've looked in at least fifty books today and not one had any name worth researching farther. This is getting hopeless. Maybe if I do something else for a while I'll be able to approach this with a fresh mind and attitude.' She stood up and took out her wand. She shrunk the telephone books that she had already gone through and sent them upstairs to the desk in Bill's old room.

Hermione looked out the window and noticed that the sun was attempting to peak through the clouds. She decided some fresh air would do her good and so she set off outside. She walked toward the orchard and sat down under a flowering tree. She watched the birds flying through sky and after a few minutes noticed Draco's owl flying toward her. It landed in front of her clutching a small package in its talons. She patted the top of its head as she took the package. It gave a friendly nip at her finger and then flew away. Smiling at the departing owl, she opened the letter first and began to read.

_Dear Hermione,_

_That was a crazy little owl you sent. What does it eat, pure sugar? I understand you not wanting to trust me right away. I haven't given you any reason in the past seven years to do so. I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry that I called you a Mudblood. It was common language from my father and I'm ashamed to say that I chose to follow his example. It won't happen again, I promise. Besides, I really don't want you to punch me again! _

_Thank you for the copy of the defeat of Voldemort. It took me about five minutes to write his name. I'm so accustomed to calling him the Dark Lord that even writing Voldemort is difficult. As Dumbledore said, 'Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself.' (See, I did read the book!) I have nothing to fear now that he's gone so I'll try from now on to call him Voldemort, forgive me if I slip. I actually had read the account while visiting my Aunt Andromeda this summer, but I read it again this morning. It's incredible what all three of you went through to defeat Voldemort, especially Potter. _

_You asked what it was like for me to live in the Dark world. I think the only way that I can share my experiences with you is to let you read about them as they happened. I'm not sure I'm ready to share this with everyone, so please bear that in mind. I'm enclosing my diary from the last two years. I didn't keep a diary before Sixth Year, but I chose to when there wasn't anyone to talk to about what was happening to me. I didn't write in it all the time and sometimes I only wrote an entry for a month rather than a day, but it'll answer your question of me and more. _

_I think we should try learning some basic things about one another. I'll answer the questions as I ask them so you know some things about me. What are your favorite colors? Silver and Black are mine. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Mine is flying. I love Quidditch. Since I am guessing you just answered reading, (and if you didn't, I'd be willing to bet it's one of your top three favorite things to do) what is your favorite book, both Muggle and wizarding? In our library I once found Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and I loved it; and don't laugh, but my favorite wizarding story is The Tale of the Three Brothers. I always wanted the wand and I can't believe I actually had it and didn't know. After learning the true history of the wand, I wouldn't choose it now if I had the option. Those are the three questions I have for you. _

_Sincerely,_

_Draco_

Hermione looked at the package in her hand. She carefully opened it and stared at the diary. She couldn't believe that he would send this to her. She flipped through the diary without actually reading anything and noticed how much he actually wrote. She could see that some entries only contained a sentence or two, but other entries seemed to go on for pages. She thought, 'This could confirm or change everything I ever thought I knew about Draco Malfoy. Ron would mock him mercilessly for keeping a diary. I have to make sure he never finds this.' She folded the letter and tucked it inside the cover of the book. In case someone came upon her as she was reading under the tree, she charmed the outside of the book to look like a school book.

Hermione opened Draco's diary and took a deep breath as she turned to the first page.

_**The Diary of Draco Lucius Malfoy**_

_**July 1996**_

_From a very young age, my father repeatedly told me that Malfoys were the best and everyone and everything was inferior to us. As a child, I believed him and perfected the cold, callous attitude that the Malfoy family presents to the public. There was never any doubt that I was a Slytherin. Whenever I saw or heard something that was contrary to my father's teachings, I reminded myself that I was a Malfoy and Malfoys were the best. I've been forced into the darkest part of the Dark world. The Malfoy mask is firmly in place and I'm not sure I even know what the real face of Draco Malfoy looks like anymore. The cold, callous attitude remains, but the reasons behind it are different now. _

_I've been given no choice but to follow the Dark Lord. Well I guess I do have a choice, but if I don't get the Dark Mark, he'll kill my mother and me. I'm doing this to save her. Death or darkness. Aunt Bella's eager to start training me. I'm dreading the time I'll spend with her. She's planning on getting some Muggles to torture. There's just nothing about this situation that excites me. Honestly, Muggles aren't that bad. They've done really well surviving without magic. I don't feel that they're superior to wizards, but they aren't inferior to us. My mother once told me of her best friend and her family who disappeared from the Wizarding world. Maybe they're living as Muggles. I'm not sure I'd be able to do that; especially knowing my mother would be at the mercy of the Dark Lord. Death or the Dark Mark. What I wouldn't give for a third option. Tomorrow I'll get the Dark Mark and soon after I'll receive my assignment. I fear learning what it is._

Hermione was already shocked after reading the first entry in Draco's diary. She thought, 'He did _not_ want the Dark Mark. He had no choice but to get it to save his mother and himself. He doesn't even hate Muggles like I always thought. I think I may have underestimated Draco.' Hermione tried to think of what she would have done in his situation. 'Would I have gotten the Dark Mark to protect my parents? Yes, without a doubt. Draco and I each did something we had to do to protect the ones we love.' She continued reading the diary.

There were a few short entries that complained about his aunt and Voldemort, or the Dark Lord as he called him, which helped her to see that maybe Draco wasn't so bad after all. Then she read another entry that caused her affection for Draco to grow.

_**September 1996**_

_I'm back at Hogwarts now. I got my mission a few weeks ago. I have to kill Professor Dumbledore. The greatest wizard of all time. I know that the Dark Lord fears him and wants him gone, but why me? I know I have to do it as punishment for my father's actions. My mother and I will die if I fail. It's not even me dying that I worry about; it's my mother. I love her and can't imagine her not living. I know Dumbledore and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I don't want him dead. And I really don't want to be the one to kill him. I hate my fucking life. _

_Every time I think of what I have to do, I get physically ill. I'm losing weight; I'm losing sleep; I'm losing my fucking mind. I'm going to try to figure out a way to complete this mission without actually being directly involved. Borgin and Burkes has a cursed necklace I could use; or I can have Madam Rosmerta send him poisoned mead. She's under the Imperius Curse. It has to be better than Avada Kedavraing him. I just can't do that. Dumbledore's such a great wizard. I'm going to rot in Azkaban for doing something that I don't want to do. _

_If I kill Dumbledore, who's going to kill the Dark Lord? Potter? He won't be able to do it by himself. Although, he has survived many times before. It has to be luck. He isn't the smartest in our school and not even in our class. That would be Hermione Granger. She's bloody brilliant. I won't admit that to her or anyone else though. And if anyone from Slytherin knew that I respected her they would…well I don't know what they would do since they're afraid of me. A few of them even worship me now that I have the Dark Mark—disgusting sycophants. They don't realize that I'd give anything to get rid of it and live a normal life. They don't realize that I'm terrified of getting news from home for fear that the Dark Lord's mad at me and taking it out on my mother. They don't realize what comes with this life. I hope someone can get rid of the Dark Lord before I have to complete his mission. Fuck him. I don't want to be his servant._

Hermione put the diary in her lap and stared up at the tree branches as she thought, 'He respected Dumbledore? It always seemed to me that he hated him. He even made fun of him in the past. I wonder how much of his attitude was an act for his friends or if he simply changed over the years? The conceited act just seemed so natural. Has he always been hiding who he really is?' As Hermione thought these things her guilt began to grow. 'He thinks I'm brilliant and he respects me too? Other than being known as the Mudblood to him, I didn't think he even paid much attention to me at all. I could tell his attitude had changed from the letters he sent me, but I thought it was only a recent development that he was being nice. It appears that even two years ago he'd already changed. If only we could've helped him then.' Hermione shook her head trying to clear it and she picked up the diary and began reading again.

_**December 5, 1996**_

_I gave the cursed necklace to Madam Rosmerta a while ago and she gave it to Katie Bell to bring to Dumbledore. It was wrapped so no one would touch it except Dumbledore. Somehow Katie touched it. Luckily she didn't die, but she's in St. Mungo's while they try to heal her. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I don't even want Dumbledore to get hurt, but I have no choice. I'm glad he didn't get the necklace because maybe he'll be able to kill the Dark Lord before I have to kill him. _

_The only bad part about not killing Dumbledore is that the fucking Dark Lord used the Cruciatus Curse on my mother when he heard about my failed attempt. Why does he have to punish her? She's innocent. I know he's doing it to punish me, but she shouldn't have to suffer because of me. I can't take this shit anymore. Why the hell can't someone kill the Dark Lord? I'd do it if I knew how._

_**December 10, 1996**_

_Since the necklace didn't work, I'm having Madam Rosmerta poison the mead that Slughorn requested for Dumbledore's Christmas present. I hope no one else drinks it. Again, I don't even want Dumbledore to drink it but what am I to do? I wish I could get the Dark Lord to drink it; but he probably wouldn't die; he'd probably just kill me for trying to poison him. _

_I was informed of a second part to my mission. I have to fix the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement in order to allow Death Eaters into Hogwarts. It isn't going well and I'll be putting all the students at risk if this works. Hogwarts should be safe. I hate the fucking Dark Lord._

Hermione's heart ached at the torment that Draco went through. She was amazed at how much he cared about others. She never would have guessed that he cared if anyone else was hurt as long as he was able to complete his mission and kill Dumbledore.

Hermione thought, 'If only Voldemort could've been killed by poisoned mead than we would've had a much easier job getting rid of him. What a horrible wizard he was; thank goodness he's gone now. It's ironic that Draco was worried about someone else drinking the mead and then that's exactly what happened to Ron. I'm glad Slughorn kept the mead for himself and also that Harry was around to save Ron when he drank it. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if Dumbledore would've drunk the mead. The world would be completely different if Dumbledore would have died before revealing everything he could to Harry. Thank goodness everything worked out in the end.'

She also laughed to herself when she remembered how Harry had blamed Draco for everything that had happened and how right he had been. She added in her thoughts, 'But he was wrong about Draco's motives. We all wanted the same thing, but we were fighting for it from different sides.'

The next few entries Draco had written described him fixing the vanishing cabinet and the frustration that went with it. He described how he used Crabbe and Goyle as diversions while he worked. 'They definitely made better looking girls than they ever made as guys,' she thought as she remembered the girl with the scales that she helped. She continued reading.

_**May 1997**_

_Potter almost killed me yesterday. Sectumsempra? Where the hell did he learn that spell? That's Dark magic that I haven't even learned. I could see in his face that he didn't know what the spell would do to me. I know he wouldn't have used it if he knew. I was going to use the Cruciatus Curse on him and he just retaliated. Again, I know it is wrong, but unfortunately it's what Aunt Bellatrix taught me to do and it's ingrained in me. Aunt Bella always told me that I need to mean the spells for them to work. I didn't want to hurt Potter and I think that if my spell would have hit him, he wouldn't have felt much more than a sting. Except that it would leave my mother at the mercy of the Dark Lord, I wish Potter would've killed me. Before Professor Snape arrived and saved me, I felt at peace. I felt like I had finally figured out a way to escape the Dark Lord. Now that I'm healed I still have to complete my mission. I'm running out of time and I'm feeling helpless._

Hermione choked back a sob. She remembered that day and how upset Harry had been over harming Draco. He had never meant to hurt him and she was glad that even in the middle of their duel, Draco was able to see that. It even seemed as if he felt remorse for trying to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. What really made her feel the most for Draco was when she read how he felt before he was saved. 'Draco felt so helpless he almost welcomed death? I knew he was not the same during Sixth Year. Oh poor Draco. I'm seeing such a different side of him through this diary. I'm truly amazed at how much he loves his mother. He seems to do everything for her safety. Maybe she's not all that bad either; she did save Harry.' After thinking for a few more minutes, she read more.

_**June 30, 1997**_

_The fucking scum of a Dark Lord tortured my mother because I haven't succeeded yet. My mother! The one person who's always been there for me. He knows my weakness. He knows everything. In a few minutes I'm going to the Room of Requirement and I will finally finish fixing that stupid vanishing cabinet so I can let into the castle every Death Eater that he sends. I think it's done, but we're running one final test to make sure it works properly. They'll all be here tonight, my deadline; they're being sent to make sure I kill Dumbledore. I can't fail this time or we will die. This guilt is eating me alive. I don't want to do it. Greyback and Bellatrix are being sent. I can't let either of them near Dumbledore. Disgusting werewolf, he attacks even if he isn't transformed; what kind of sick maniac does that? My aunt's just a horrible woman. If I have to kill Dumbledore, the most I can do is kill him quickly and keep them away from him. I have to, but I can't. I don't want to. Why me? Why him? Why can't the Dark Lord die instead? I wish I could warn Dumbledore._

_**July 1, 1997**_

_Dumbledore's dead and I didn't do it. Dumbledore tried to offer me and my mother protection. I would have gladly taken it if only the other Death Eaters wouldn't have shown up. I really didn't want him to die. Professor Snape killed him. Dumbledore begged him and he killed him anyway. Snape had made the Unbreakable Vow with my mother and fulfilled his promise to her to take over my mission for me. I can't believe Dumbledore's really dead; now who will save us all?_

Hermione closed the diary and tried to digest everything she had just read. There was still a lot more that he had written, but she needed a break before she could start reading again. She sat beneath the tree reflecting on what she had read for over twenty minutes before a loud crack sounded not far from her. Startled, she grabbed her wand and jumped to her feet, sending the diary flying through the air.

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A/N: Please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Draco's Diary Part Two

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling's world and characters belong to her; I'm just playing with them!

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_**Chapter Four ~ Draco's Diary Part Two**_

Hermione watched as Ron apparated about twenty feet from her. Her war instincts had kicked in and she was not about to let anyone approach her until she knew for sure who it really was.

"Jeez Hermione, it's just me. You can lower your wand," Ron said, with his hands in the air and a scared look on his face.

Without lowering her wand she said, "Prove to me that it's you."

"Come on 'Mione, you're being ridiculous. You know it's me," Ron said as he rolled his eyes and tried to take a step forward.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and pointed her wand menacingly. Ron's eyes widened in fear and he took a step back saying, "Okay, what do you want to know?"

Because she was irritated with him, she thought she would she would make him relive another moment that he annoyed her. Hermione said, "Tell me what I did to you when you and Lavender found me in a classroom after your Quidditch game."

Ron looked really panicked as he said, "You made conjured canaries attack me with the Oppugno Curse. Please don't ever do that again, it really hurt."

Hermione lowered her wand and raised an eyebrow and said with a twinkle in her eye, "Don't ever give me cause to or I won't hesitate to use it again."

Ron let out his breath as he watched her wand drop to her side. "Did you have to do that? I thought we could let up on the questioning," Ron said as he approached her.

"Just because the war's over doesn't mean that I can just take your word that it's you. If that were the case, than we wouldn't need Aurors anymore. And since the Ministry's still recruiting I still will be weary of people who scare the dickens out of me. I'm sure there are plenty of Dark Wizards out there who would love to take revenge on us for helping to kill Voldemort; so I'll always follow Professor Moody's advice and practice 'constant vigilance'. I encourage you to do the same Ronald, especially if you want to be an Auror," Hermione scolded, her heart still racing from Ron's sudden appearance.

She continued a bit nicer, "Besides, you startled me. I've been out here reading and it's been so quiet that when you appeared I practically jumped out of my skin." She sat back down and Ron sat under the tree across from her.

"Whatcha reading?" He asked as he picked up the book that had flown from her lap as she had jumped. "Ick, _History of Magic_? Binns' class was bad enough, I didn't think even you would want to read that for fun. I didn't even read that book when I was supposed to; it made an okay pillow during class though," Ron said as he tossed the disguised diary back to Hermione.

Hermione shrugged and replied, "You know me, I read anything I can get my hands on and this book just happened to be on the top of my pile today." Changing the subject she asked, "Have you and Harry decided if you're going to go back to Hogwarts this year? Like I told Harry, I can't imagine not having both of you there with me."

Ron nodded and said, "We talked last night and we're going to take Kingsley up on his offer to become Aurors. I don't fancy sitting in pointless classes much, so I might as well start working."

Hermione huffed and said, "Ron, classes are not pointless. You never know when you'll need to use the information that Hogwarts can provide. Besides, don't you want one more year of freedom before you start work?"

Ron shook his head and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He pulled a few blades of grass out of the ground as he said, "Nah; besides, this is the year we were supposed to start our careers anyway. If things would have gone to plan, you know if Voldemort hadn't existed, then we would've graduated in June and we'd be out on our own already. If I can become an Auror without the stress of N.E.W.T.s I think that's the best option for me. Besides, what if I don't pass one of my N.E.W.T.s? If that happened I wouldn't be able to be an Auror at all. I know that I have enough experience; and what I don't know, they'll teach me during training. I'm looking forward to being on my own; and maybe on the days I'm not training I can help George at the shop."

Hermione stared at Ron and realized how much he had matured in the last year. The War had changed him and he'd grown wiser. Gone was the rash, immature, gangly boy and in his place sat a man. Hermione felt a twinge of sadness as she realized that her friend had his life figured out and that it really wouldn't include her.

She shook her head and refocused her thoughts to ask, "How's George doing? I haven't seen him for a couple of weeks. Your mum says he's been really busy trying to get the store back to how it was before he and Fred had to close it during the war."

Ron shrugged and tipped his head to the side as he said, "He's okay. He's really cut up about Fred, but I think it helps him that they had that portrait painted last year so he can talk to Fred a bit when he's at work. He says it isn't the same, but it's better than nothing."

Ron started to laugh a bit and continued by saying, "Lately portrait Fred has been hiding behind the frame and then popping into the middle trying to scare customers. George actually got a bit irritated with him yesterday and took the portrait down for a while. Fred threatened to start loudly singing _One Hundred Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall _if he didn't put him back up. George ignored him and Fred got down to Seventy-three bottles before George put an end to it by putting the portrait back." Hermione and Ron laughed together at the antics of Fred.

Once she stopped laughing she replied, "That sounds like Fred. They're really lucky they had that portrait made. I know that your mum likes to go to the shop to talk to it. She even came home angry the other day because Fred wouldn't stop making jokes when she was trying to be serious."

"Oh yeah, that was funny. I was at the shop and Mum was trying to reminisce with him about something he did when he was younger that she thought was sweet. He kept trying to make her think that it was George she was remembering. Then he tried to remind her of the pranks he'd pulled on her and Dad. She finally gave up when he began telling knock-knock jokes," Ron said while laughing and Hermione joined him.

Once their laughter had subsided, Hermione changed the subject. "When does Auror training begin?" Hermione asked knowing that it wasn't worth her time to convince Ron to come back to Hogwarts.

"August first begins the training, but there are some orientation things starting next week that we have to attend. It's gonna be great. We'll get training in concealment, disguise, stealth and tracking. Even though it was stressful and dangerous this past year, I really enjoyed a lot of what we got to do. It'll be brilliant learning more and I want to be able to catch any more Death Eaters who escaped."

Hermione could see how excited Ron was to become an Auror and said, "I'm glad you figured out what you want to do with your life. I'm proud of you Ron. You're going to make a great Auror."

Ron blushed and mumbled his thanks then asked, "How's the search for your parents coming? Have you found anything yet?"

Hermione sighed, stood up, stretched and answered, "It's not going that well. I haven't found any trace of them. I came out here to try to give myself a break from searching the Muggle telephone books. I guess I should get back to it."

Ron looked at the book in her hands again and said, "Only you would think reading _History of Magic _constitutes taking a break. I'll never understand why you think reading something like that is fun. I'll help you look through some of those fellytone books; maybe we can find them before dinner."

Hermione smiled and nodded saying, "That would be great Ron. I could really use the help. By the way, they're called telephone books, not fellytone books."

Ron rolled his eyes as they walked back into the house and to the living room. Each picked up a book and started to look through them.

She described to Ron what exactly he would be looking for. She said, "I've been looking for any dental practice for Wilkins or any dentists listed as Wendell and Monica Wilkins. I've also been trying to look for anything with those initials or any names that sound similar. So far there haven't been any."

"Can't you just use magic to find the names?" Ron asked hoping that somehow she had just overlooked that method and that he was revealing a brilliant plan to her.

Hermione shook her and replied, "I tried to, but none of the spells worked, so the Muggle way of searching is the only thing I can do."

Ron crinkled his nose a bit but didn't say anything else as he began to look for Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

They looked through the books for about an hour until Mrs. Weasley called everyone for dinner. Once again, nothing had been found that was worth investigating further. After dinner, Hermione took the disguised diary to her room to read in peace. The Weasleys and Harry were going to listen to program on the Wizarding Wireless Network and Hermione claimed to want to read a bit before bed. No one questioned her since she often was found reading. She settled onto the bed against the pillows and once she was comfortable, she opened the diary and began to read where she left off that afternoon.

_**July 1997**_

_Father is back from Azkaban now. There was a meeting tonight in the drawing room. The Muggle Studies teacher from Hogwarts was suspended upside down right above me. I couldn't help but watch her. She begged for someone to help her, to save her. I felt so powerless. I wanted to help her. No one should be killed just because they teach about Muggles. No one should be killed at all, except for the fucking Dark Lord. He deserves to die. Why do I have to sit here; why do I have to do his bidding? The Muggle Studies teacher wrote an article about Muggle-borns and because of it he killed her. I'm so disgusted by her death and I'm so ashamed that I've ever called anyone a Mudblood. It makes me feel like him. I don't want to be anything like him._

Hermione felt horrible that Draco had to watch Professor Burbage get killed. She paused as her thoughts interrupted her reading, 'She was good teacher and a nice woman. It's horrible that she was killed for her connection to Muggles. I'm so lucky that I hid my parents and that I made it out of the war alive. I'm also glad that Draco is feeling remorse for calling Muggle-borns Mudbloods. It shows that he was able to rise above the beliefs of his father and become a better man than Lucius. Maybe Lucius has changed too; but I doubt he'll ever be able to apologize to Muggle-borns like Draco has to me. Maybe the time he's serving now in Azkaban will help him reform.' After an audible snort at that particular thought, Hermione continued reading.

_**August 2, 1997**_

_Rowle let Potter get away last night. I'm glad Potter wasn't captured, but because of it I was forced to torture Rowle. If I didn't the Dark Lord was going to torture me, maybe even kill me for disobeying a direct order. I'm so afraid of him; but I won't show it. I can't wait until school starts again and I can get out of the manor. _

Hermione only felt a little sorry that Rowle had been tortured. She thought, 'He was a horrible man too. He had no regard for human life. I'm glad he's in Azkaban. I don't think that anyone should have to be tortured; but my sympathy lies more with Draco, because he had to be the one to do it when he clearly didn't want to.' She focused on the diary again.

_**September 1997**_

_I'm back at Hogwarts again. Amycus and Alecto Carrow and Professor Snape are going to be in charge of things at Hogwarts this year. The Carrows make us practice the Cruciatus Curse on everyone who has detention during Dark Arts class. We all have to take Muggle Studies and learn about how horrible Muggles are. We aren't learning anything except how to be Dark wizards. I get enough of that at home. Why can't I escape any of this? Potter, Weasley and Granger aren't here this year. I didn't expect Granger to be here since she's Muggle-born and wouldn't be able to come back. She's probably with Potter anyway and he obviously isn't going to come to school. I heard Weasley has spattergroit so he won't be here and even if he wasn't sick, he'd be with Potter. I hope they stay safe; I believe they're the only ones who can kill the Dark Lord. _

'As much as I hate the idea of Dark Arts class, it probably helped some of the students who stayed for the Battle of Hogwarts. They knew what they were up against and how to fight the curses. They wouldn't have been taught how to fight off the curses, but it seems like they were often the practice targets and maybe they learned how to defend themselves that way, or at least fight through the pain,' Hermione thought.

Hermione smiled as she read what Draco said about her and Ron and thought, 'I'm glad Ron's spattergroit cover worked well. Draco really is intuitive; he knew that the three of us would be together and that we would be trying to get rid of Voldemort. I never realized how much he actually paid attention to us. I guess we did pay a lot of attention to him too. He even wished for our safety. Draco Malfoy believed in us. Wow.' She had to take a break to think about that thought for a few minutes.

Once she had gathered her thoughts again, she continued reading. She read a few more entries where Draco discussed how bad things were at Hogwarts with the Carrows there. He wrote about how much he hated having to pretend to support them and how much he wished he could help people instead of hurting them.

_**January 1998**_

_Fewer students came back to school after Christmas break. I'm not sure how many of them were killed and how many are just in hiding. I would've stayed home if my house wasn't the headquarters for everything Dark. Here at school if you aren't pure-blood you get tortured just for breathing wrong. Even if you're pure-blood you don't escape torture. Look at Longbottom. He seems to have taken over for Potter. He's developed one hell of a backbone and has become really good at defensive spells. I'm impressed with him, not that I can tell him or anything. _

_I make sure not to report anything to the Carrows, unless Crabbe forces me to do it. Crabbe isn't some pathetic follower anymore. I think he wants to be on the Dark Lord's 'most loyal list'; or as I think of it, the 'most fucked up list'. He makes it a point to report every little thing he can, just to have more students to torture. He makes me sick. I've been doing my best to avoid having to torture anyone. _

_Yesterday I was forced to torture a Third Year boy. I had about thirty seconds alone with him before the Carrows entered the room. I told him I wasn't actually going to use the Cruciatus Curse on him, but that he should scream as if I was. He was confused, but all I could say to him was that I didn't want to hurt him and that he better be a good actor or things would be bad for both of us. When the Carrows arrived, I aimed my curse just over his shoulder and he screamed and flailed as if he was in the worst possible pain. Alecto told me that Aunt Bellatrix would be proud of me and that it was the best curse she'd seen yet. Afterwards the boy thanked me for sparing him from pain and I returned to my room where I cried. Yes, I, Draco Malfoy, cried. I hate my fucking life and I hate that bastard who is ruining it. _

_I got a letter today at breakfast direct from the fucking Dark Lord himself. He praised me for my supposed prowess in the Cruciatus Curse. He told me that I appeared to have real potential and that maybe I could join his inner circle soon. I left the Great Hall and barely made it to the loo before I got violently sick. The mother-fucking inner circle; that's the last thing in this hell on earth that I want to be a part of. Isn't the damn Dark Mark that he burned into my forearm enough? Isn't the fact that he has forced me to do his bidding enough? Damn him to deepest pit in hell. _

_This is not how my Seventh Year was supposed to be. I was supposed to learn things to prepare me for a career. As of right now, the only career I can have is one forced on me by the Dark Lord. And that's definitely not one I want. I hope Potter and Granger are figuring out a way to kill him soon. _

Hermione was both scared and impressed by this entry. His anger toward Voldemort and his fear of serving him was so strong that she felt his struggle as she read. She was learning all about a new Draco Malfoy. She was also impressed that Draco was seeing people for who they really were. That made her smile as she thought, 'Neville really did change. I think that it was just a matter of confidence. Once he discovered something to fight for, there was nothing that could stand in his way. He became a great Wizard and I'm glad Draco could see it too. I'm also glad that Draco could see Crabbe for what he really was and that Draco didn't choose to follow the same path. It seems as though he really tried to protect students by not turning them in to the Carrows and he even protected the ones that weren't able to escape punishment. If I had only been able to read this entry, and no other, I would've been able to see the great change in Draco. Maybe Slytherin isn't the House for him anymore. I understand why Draco wants to come back to Hogwarts this year. He really can have a future now.'

_**April 1998**_

_The snatchers caught Potter, Weasley and Granger. Aunt Bellatrix and my father made me identify them. I tried really hard not to. I could tell it was them the second they entered the room. Well, Potter was a bit disfigured, but I knew it was him. I could feel my aunt trying to break into my mind to find the truth I was trying to hide. She was already starting to see what I didn't want her to see so I had no choice but to admit it was them. My aunt tortured Granger over a sword that she thought was stolen from the Lestrange vault. I couldn't watch. I cringed whenever she screamed; it was horrible. I have witnessed so much torture in my life, but seeing Granger on the floor at the mercy of my aunt was the worst. I whispered 'sorry' to Granger as I passed her to get the goblin. I'm not sure if she heard me. I'm glad the goblin said the sword was fake, or Granger would've been killed and I didn't want that. As it was, Bella was going to give her to Greyback until Potter and Weasley escaped from the dungeons. _

_After a brief fight, in which I may have "accidentally" hit Aunt Bellatrix a couple of times, they all escaped; but bloody Potter took my wand. The Dark Lord tortured us for letting them get away. I'm surprised we're still alive at all. And even though Potter has my wand, I'm glad they all escaped. I hated leaving my parents, or rather just my mother, to the mercy of the Dark Lord; but I'm glad I got to go back to school even if it isn't much better here. At least the Dark Lord isn't here. _

Hermione shook for a minute as she remembered their capture. She still had nightmares about the torture Bellatrix inflicted on her. Once she was able to focus on the diary again she thought, 'I was right though, I did see Draco cringing and I did hear him say sorry. He was actually worried that I'd be killed and didn't want to me to die. I feel bad that they were tortured for our escape, though I would not have wanted to stay at Malfoy Manor any longer than I was there. We did gain a lot from being captured; we saved Luna and Ollivander, we learned that there was something else in the Lestrange's vault and we gained Draco's wand which helped to defeat Voldemort. We did lose Dobby and I have a scar on my neck where Bellatrix cut me, but it was all worth it in the end.' There was only one more entry left to read.

_**May 1998**_

_He did it! Potter defeated the Dark Lord last week. He's truly gone. We're all free. My father will be serving time in Azkaban for his escape and his previous charges, but he might be released someday. Mother and I aren't being tried for anything. Potter made a statement on our behalf because somehow he knew what I had been through; and mother lied to the Dark Lord for him so that he was able to end it all. Aunt Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus, his brother Rabastan Lestrange, Crabbe and other Death Eaters were killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. I was a bit upset initially over the shock of Crabbe's death; but I realized how different we really were once he got the Dark Mark. He chose that life; I never wanted it. I'm stuck with this Dark Mark forever, though it looks more like a scar now that the Dark Lord's gone. I owe Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger my life many times over. They saved me from Fiendfyre, from a Death Eater who wanted to kill me and most importantly from the Dark Lord himself. They saved us all and I will never forget that._

Hermione closed Draco's diary and put it down in her lap. She looked across the room not really seeing anything. A tear escaped the corner of her eye as she thought back to what she had read. Everything she thought she had ever known about Draco Malfoy had just been proven false. As she had read what he had been through, she felt his emotions, his inner turmoil and she was amazed at the person he had become through it all.

She thought to herself, 'I assumed I knew him; but I knew nothing. I thought he had wanted the Dark Mark and to follow Voldemort. I thought he wanted the same things Voldemort wanted. I never imagined that what he really wanted was what we wanted. The Draco Malfoy that I just read about is a man I want to get to know better. He's a man with a strong character and a good sense of morals. I never thought that I would think of Draco as someone with either of those qualities, but I think he has grown more than anyone else I know. He was forced into a bad situation and he did everything he could to protect his mother from Voldemort.'

Hermione stood up and walked to the window. She stared into the darkness that surrounded the Burrow. A light rain was coming down and the sky was black. She continued to think about Draco. 'He showed remorse and compassion. He respects me and actually apologized for calling me a Mudblood. I never thought that day would come. He bared soul in this diary because he had no one else to confide in about what was happening to him. No one in his life, except maybe his mother, could've understood how tortured, both physically and mentally, he was by Voldemort. When we fought against Voldemort, at least we had the support of others and someone to talk to. Draco had no one. He went through just as much as we did. Even though Voldemort had taken over his life and everything in it was Dark, he was able to stay true to himself and follow a path toward the light; he could have easily given in to the Dark. I'm so glad Professor McGonagall requested we share with one another. I never would've discovered the true Draco Malfoy without her help.'

Hermione sat down at the desk in Bill's old room. She pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and a quill and tried to decide how to write what she wanted to say. The parchment remained blank because there were so many things she wanted to say, but nothing could capture her sentiments correctly. An hour later, she had yet to write anything. She realized how tired she was and figured sleep would be the best thing for her. She lay on the bed and thought about Draco. 'I'm looking forward to learning more about him.' With that last thought she fell into a peaceful sleep.

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A/N: Okay readers, I know there are a lot of you out there, but since I have reposted this story, I have only heard from **3** of you. A huge thank you goes out to Akatsuki'sBloodyNekoNinja, TempestDashon, and hotttopicgirl for your reviews, they made my day! I really appreciate them!

I am going give you a chapter survey to make reviewing easier. I would really love to hear what you think of this story and all you have to do is click review and type a letter in the little box that pops up on your screen that best applies to how you feel. Extra comments are always welcome!

A) I love this story so far!

B) I definitely hope the next chapter is better or I'm not reading any more.

C) Why wait for the next chapter? I'm not going to read any more of this.

D) (Please feel free to add your own comment)

Thank you!


	5. A Clean Slate

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! There were a few comments regarding Draco; he is out of character in this story. My Draco has changed and I will be keeping him nice (for the most part)! I hope that doesn't upset too many people.

J. K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter universe and I can only dream that it's mine!

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_**Chapter Five ~ A Clean Slate**_

Draco stood in the drawing room with his mother the next morning twirling his wand between his fingers. It felt good to have the Hawthorn wand back in his hand after losing it to Harry in the struggle in that same room. Harry had returned the wand to him the day after the Battle of Hogwarts. Draco liked knowing that his wand had been the wand to ultimately defeat Voldemort. He looked down at the wand and thought, 'If I could've killed Voldemort with my wand myself I would have. I'm glad that he didn't know I had it when it was the Elder Wand or I'd be dead now and he probably would be living still.' He shuddered at the thought of Voldemort being alive.

Looking around the room that had so many bad memories he said, "This is the last room to fix Mother, what would you like to do to it? We've put off re-doing this room long enough and we need to finish it so the manor can be complete. If it were up to me, I'd just wall it up and never have to see it again; but I'm guessing you have better ideas than that."

There was a spark in the eye of the older blonde witch that Draco had not seen in many years. She appeared much younger than her forty-two years. Narcissa squared her shoulders, smiled at her son and replied, "That I do Draco. First, everything in it has to go. It all just needs to be gone. Anything that the Dark Lord, I mean Vvvvolde," Narcissa paused and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and continued, "Voldemort touched, sat on or even looked at needs to be destroyed. I don't care if it is some family heirloom or not. I don't want _any_ reminders of _anything_ that happened in this room."

Narcissa walked to the middle of the large room and said, "All I can see when I look at this room is that poor woman hanging above the table or that snake slithering across the floor. I used to love the open, grand feeling that this room held, but I haven't loved it in a very long time. I hate this room as it is right now and I don't want to anymore. When we're done with the transformation it will be as if nothing bad ever happened here. I don't want it to be grand; I want it to be comforting. We will only have good memories from here on out. You start by vanishing the furniture. I'm going to start with some of the smaller items." Narcissa walked toward a bookcase on one side of the room as Draco went to the long table that dominated the room.

'I hate everything about this table. The only memories I have from it are ones of Darkness and times of torture. I'm glad to make it disappear forever,' he thought. He happily pointed his wand at the table and said, "Evanesco." The table vanished and Draco smiled. The chairs and cabinets along the wall were the next things he vanished. He didn't even bother to open the cabinets to see if there was anything in them to consider keeping. Narcissa had vanished all of the books and knickknacks on the shelves. She was about to vanish the pictures when she found one in a frame that had fallen over onto its face. She picked it up and sat down in the chair next to her. She stared at the picture and her eyes began to water.

Draco noticed his mother had stopped working and was beginning to cry. He had been about to vanish the rug in front of the hearth; but he went over to her instead. "What's wrong Mother?" he asked placing his hand on her shoulder and kneeling next to her as he looked over her shoulder at the picture. In it were two young women, one with blonde hair and one with black, each holding a baby with the same colored hair as their own.

Narcissa pointed at the picture and said, "This picture was taken when you were about two months old. That's my best friend, your Godmother, Artemis and her daughter Lyra. Lyra was almost eleven months here. Their family disappeared a few days after this picture was taken. I had forgotten all about this picture. I've told you their story before and how we could never find them. What I never told you was that your Aunt Bella was so upset when they disappeared; but not for the same reason I was." Narcissa wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Why was Aunt Bella so upset?" Draco asked in disbelief. He couldn't imagine that Bellatrix had any feelings for anyone, except maybe Voldemort; she didn't even seem to like her own husband that much. Draco had never known Rodolphus Lestrange as his uncle even though that was what he technically was. Bellatrix had married him only because she was expected to marry a pure-blood and not because she loved him.

"Vvvoldemort wanted Bella to make sure that Lyra was raised as one of his most faithful servants. Artemis wouldn't allow that to happen. I would've taken you and gone with her if it wasn't for your father. I don't even know if they're still alive. I just wish I knew how to find them. I miss her so much. Lyra probably went to school with you; unless Artemis chose not to send her for fear that the Dark Lord would discover her." Narcissa sighed as she looked at the picture again. She decided to keep this picture so she sent it to her bedroom before looking at Draco kneeling next to her.

Draco gave his mother a hug and said, "I don't think that there was a Lyra in my class, so if she was there she was called something else. There were a few girls with black hair, but I don't know their names. Maybe she didn't end up at Hogwarts; she could have gone to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang."

Narcissa nodded and said, "You're right, Artemis probably did send her to Beauxbatons. She spoke French fluently so it wouldn't surprise me if that's where Lyra went. Maybe we'll take a trip to France before you go back to school."

Draco kissed his mother's cheek before saying, "A trip to France sounds great Mother. I'll help you try to find them; but first we need to finish remodeling the manor. It really doesn't feel like the same place does it?"

Narcissa shook her head and said, "Not at all; and that's exactly how I want it. No more darkness and coldness. Nothing will remind us of the horrors that took place here. It will finally seem like a home once it's done. Let's get back to it. I think we can finish today." Narcissa gave Draco a kiss on his forehead and stood up again.

After vanishing everything from the room, Narcissa and Draco got the help of their three house-elves and changed the physical layout of the room. The once large room was now split into three smaller rooms, as was the grand fireplace that once dominated the room. The original entrances to the room were now walls and new doors were created in former walls.

One room was a cozy den painted with warm colors, containing soft bulky furniture perfect for relaxing. The next room was a study lined with bookshelves and had lounge chairs perfect for curling up in front of the fire with a good book. The third room was Draco's to design. He thought it would be perfect to have a game room. There were tables for wizard's chess and exploding snap. He even had a Muggle billiards table in the middle of the room. Quidditch posters decorated the walls. In each room, the stone floor was covered in plush carpet and nothing was even remotely the same as it had been just that morning. Finally, the memories of the horrors the manor had seen were gone.

Narcissa found Draco standing in the doorway of the study staring at what his mother had done to the room. She put her hand on the arm he was bracing on the door frame and said, "Come on Draco, let's take a walk through the manor and finally experience it as a home."

He smiled at her and nodded. Narcissa, Draco and the house-elves had worked for about six weeks fixing each room of the manor and changing almost everything. Draco had not yet seen all of the rooms that Narcissa had redone and she had not seen all of the rooms he had redone.

They opened the front doors and walked outside to see the manor as a whole. Even the dull dark grey color of the exterior had been changed to a natural tan sandstone color. The gardens had been weeded and were full of bright colorful flowers. The shrubs and trees had been pruned and new statues were in place. There was a new fountain in the pond and even the gates were changed. The peacocks remained as they were either white and pure or colorful and bright depending on the bird. Narcissa felt that they were able to fit the new theme of the manor. The ominous feeling the manor once gave was gone and now it looked like a beautiful palace.

Walking back inside, they found the entrance hall to be bright and welcoming. The old grey stone fireplace, which was connected to the Floo Network, was now bright white marble. The old stone floor was now white marble with flecks of black and would make a grand impression on guests arriving through by Floo or through the front doors. They looked through sitting and living rooms, decorated with luxurious furnishings that fit the new beauty of the manor; family rooms, perfect for relaxing, conversing and gathering; dining rooms, each designed to elegantly seat the many future guests of the manor; and two ballrooms, one larger than the other, but each grand and beautiful.

The biggest surprise for Narcissa was one of the rooms that Draco designed for her. The newly created conservatory had a travertine floor and the walls and ceiling were formed of ornate ironwork and glass. The room was filled with trees, plants and flowers. Narcissa knew that she would enjoy her afternoon tea there every day.

Every room in the manor was now bright, clean and warm. Gone was the cold, oppressive feeling that the house once gave. The kitchen and bathrooms shined. Floors were covered in carpets and elegant rugs. The windows all had new draperies. The library and studies were inviting and the bedrooms provided beautiful retreats for the residents and guests. Not a surface was left untouched. The cellar was redone to house wine and food. Any Dark object that was discovered was turned over to the Ministry without hesitation. After over twenty years of living in the manor, Narcissa finally felt that it was a home she could love.

When they finished their tour of the manor, they returned to the den that Narcissa had finished earlier that day and sat across from one another. Winnie, one of the house-elves, brought Narcissa and Draco two glasses of wine.

Holding his glass aloft, Draco said, "I would like to toast to a fresh start for Malfoy Manor."

Narcissa raised her glass, nodded in agreement and said, "The manor is finally a fitting home for the next Lord and Lady Malfoy. When you marry you will inherit the title Earl of Wiltshire from your father. I know you weren't expecting it for quite some time; but you have a chance to make the Malfoy name a positive one, both in the Wizarding world and the Muggle world. The Malfoy family has not been known as a friendly and welcoming family to the Muggles in Wiltshire in the past; but if anyone can change that, your father and I know that it's you. When you marry, I will move to one of our country estates and the manor will be yours," Narcissa said with a smile of pride for her son.

"But Mother, are you sure? When did you decide all of this?" Draco questioned leaning forward in his chair, a look of confusion on his face.

"We are most definitely sure. Your father and I have had many discussions regarding this matter. We have finalized everything through letters while he has been in Azkaban. He knows that we may have gained some respect back from the Wizarding world for defecting from Vvvvoldemort in the end, but we know you are the best man to lead this family. We're proud of you Draco. You will make a wonderful Earl, Lord Malfoy," Narcissa said, her eyes shining with love for her son.

"Thank you Mother. However, I may never get married. There aren't many pure-blood witches out there that would want to marry me or that I'd want to marry. The only ones that would marry me are witches like Pansy and I won't marry her or anyone like her," Draco said with a shudder.

Narcissa shook her head and replied, "You don't have to marry a pure-blood. Your father and I are in complete agreement with each other that you may marry whomever you want. Whether she is pure-blood or even Muggle-born, as long as you're in love and happy, we won't care. We want you to have _whatever_ you want in life. We love you Draco."

"I love you too Mother. Thank you. Maybe there is someone out there for me," Draco said with a small smile.

Draco finished his glass of wine before he stood up and walked over to where his mother was sitting. "It's been a long day and I think I'm going to go bed. Good night Mother. The manor's perfect and I look forward to making many happy memories here," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to his bedroom, thinking the whole way. Draco felt proud that he could help bring light into the once dark manor. He was looking forward to building his own family here in the future. He was happy that he could actually have a future of his own choosing. Life was finally on the right track for Draco Malfoy.

As he got ready for bed that night he was once again forced to deal with that annoying little owl as Hermione had sent another letter to him. This time it was easier to catch the owl since Draco was fully awake. Once relieved of its package, the little owl hooted happily and flew to his shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately. He laughed and gave it one of the treats that he kept on his desk. After it finished the treat, the owl flew around his room a few times before leaving through the window.

Draco sat in a chair by the window and stared at the letter. He worried about what it would say. Never before had he trusted anyone, other than his mother, and he worried that he may have made a mistake. He couldn't explain why, but he felt that it was important for Hermione to accept him. Taking a deep breath he opened the letter and began to read.

_Dear Draco,_

_It's taken me a while to write this letter to you. It's not every day that what you thought you knew about someone is proven wrong. Thank you for allowing me to read your diary. I know how hard it must have been for you to share it with me. I learned so much about the man you are; and is it wrong of me to feel proud of you? So many people would have given into the Darkness and I'll admit that I believed you had. I'm sorry that I assumed the worst of you. I'm also happy to say that I was wrong about you. I forgive you for what has happened between us in the past and I offer my apologies as well. You, Draco Malfoy, are a great man and I'm glad that I'm able to have this opportunity to get to know you better. _

_That crazy little owl's name is Pig and I think that Ginny may give him sugar cubes from time to time. He's overly enthusiastic when he receives a job. I've sent your diary back to you in the package. Don't worry, no one else read it, or even knew that I had it. When Ron saw it, I had it disguised as a _History of Magic_ textbook, which guaranteed that he wouldn't read it. _

_I like the idea of learning basic things about one another. My favorite colors are green and silver. As a Gryffindor it isn't easy to admit to others that you like green and silver, but I do. You're correct, my favorite thing to do in my spare time is reading. Spare time has been difficult to come by the past year, between bringing down Voldemort and now trying to find my parents. I sent them to Australia to protect them from Voldemort. I have no idea where they are in order to bring them home and my spare time has been consumed with research. On a side note, I'm glad you're going to use the name Voldemort; there's nothing to fear now. _

_My favorite Muggle book is probably anything written by William Shakespeare. My mother once told me that she doesn't exactly remember how I got my name, but that it was possibly because of Shakespeare's play 'The Winter's Tale'; but I would rather like to think I was named after Hermione from Greek mythology. My favorite wizarding book is _Hogwarts, A History_. It was the first wizarding book I read; and once I found out I was a witch, it was the first time I could ever remember feeling like I belonged and that everything in my life finally felt right. _

_I've told you what I've been doing this summer, trying to find my parents; but what have you been doing? Where is one place you've never been that you would like to visit? I'd like to go to Greece. I've always loved Greek mythology and want to see the Parthenon, the Acropolis and other temples. Do you have any hidden talents? I'm fairly good at dancing, though I don't often have the opportunity to dance. Do you ever wish you weren't an only child? I always wanted a brother, but I guess we don't always get what we want._

_Have a nice night Draco._

_Fondly,_

_Hermione_

Draco finished reading her letter with a smile on his face. Malfoy Manor was getting a fresh start and now it looked like he could have a clean slate with Hermione too. His day had been long and he decided to write back to her in the morning. For now, bed was calling his name.

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A/N: JKR didn't do much with Narcissa and I want her to play a larger part in my story. I hope you all liked her introduction. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, even a word or two is fine! Please review!


	6. Two Fights and a NonDate

This chapter will be longer (I just couldn't figure out how to cut it in half so I didn't!)

Disclaimer: Still not mine!

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**_Chapter Six ~ Two Fights and a Non-Date_ **

A little after nine the next morning, Hermione was once again hard at work searching for her parent's assumed names in the telephone books. She had now added the Northern Territory to the list of places where her parents were most likely not living. There were still about six hundred telephone books to look through and she was dreading them. In her mind she worried, 'What if I get through all of these and there still isn't any sign of them?' She shook her head at the thought and with determination answered her own question, 'I'll just have to figure out another way to find them. I won't give up until I have them home.' With new determination she picked up another book and began the search again.

Soon she was interrupted by a voice coming from the kitchen asking, "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Hermione stood up and walked toward the voice. Standing in front of the fireplace she saw Andromeda Tonks holding her grandson, Teddy Lupin, and three large bags.

"Hi Mrs. Tonks; Harry said you were coming this morning. I'm not sure where he is right now, but please let me help you with something," Hermione said, rushing forward to relieve some of the older witch's burden.

Shifting a few things in her arms, Andromeda replied, "It's Dromeda, please, and if you could just hold Teddy for a moment that would be a great help. I'm early so I don't expect Harry to be ready for me yet. I wanted to get here in time to get everything set up for Teddy."

Hermione took Teddy from her and walked him around the kitchen while Andromeda set up all the bottles, toys and diapers that she had brought. After a few minutes she let out a sigh and sat down at the kitchen table.

Hermione looked from the sleeping baby in her arms to the piles of baby items that now littered the room. She exclaimed quietly, "I never realized how much you need to bring to care for someone so little."

Andromeda laughed and said, "I probably went overboard. I've never brought him somewhere when I needed a day for myself. Usually he's cared for at my house; but Harry insisted that I bring him here. So Hermione, Molly has told me about your search for your parents. I hear you haven't had any luck so far."

Hermione shook her head and replied, "Unfortunately no, but I know they're out there somewhere and I'll find them."

Andromeda nodded and said, "Of course you will. I've also heard that you're going to be Head Girl this year. That is a wonderful honor, congratulations."

Hermione smiled as she brushed the back of her finger lightly across Teddy's cheek. She then looked at the woman sitting near her and wondered if she would be able to answer a few questions. Hermione said, "Thank you; I'm looking forward it. Your nephew Draco is going to be Head Boy. Dromeda? What do you think of Draco?"

Andromeda smirked and responded, "I've only recently gotten the opportunity to spend time with my sister and Draco. I've always heard stories of how Draco treated others, especially those outside of Slytherin. I would say he used to be on the path toward becoming Lucius. I don't believe that Draco Malfoy exists anymore. I've actually seen him at least once a week since the War ended. I've even been to Malfoy Manor, where many changes have occurred. Draco is polite, humble, and genuinely happy. I'm proud to say that he's my nephew and I look forward to watching him associate the Malfoy name with goodness, rather than fear. Does that answer your question, dear?"

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. Her mind was racing as she considered what Andromeda had told her. She felt better about trusting Draco. Hermione smiled and placed a kiss on Teddy's forehead. Harry and Ginny chose that moment to come running down the stairs, which woke the sleeping baby boy. He started to cry and Ginny rushed forward to take him from Hermione.

Harry was getting instructions from Andromeda and Hermione decided to go back into the living room to continue her search. As she passed Andromeda, she paused to wrap her arms around her and whispered, "Thank you." Andromeda hugged her back and then winked as Hermione pulled away.

Hermione settled onto the couch and picked up where she had left off before Andromeda and Teddy's arrival. After reading five more books she heard a tapping at the window. Looking up she saw Draco's owl again. She quickly opened the window and took the letter off his leg. Instead of flying off like he had previously, the owl simply sat on the windowsill while she read the letter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Green and silver, huh? I guess there's some Slytherin in you after all! I'm just kidding; I know you're a Gryffindor through and through. I've read quite a few of William Shakespeare's plays and even some of his sonnets myself. Reading is one of my favorite things to do also and it was one of the few things that helped keep me sane when I was confined to the manor. _

_Speaking of the manor, this summer has been spent completely changing it. My mother and I have worked every day to change every single thing inside and out. We have redesigned many of the rooms and have redecorated every centimeter from cellar to attic. Absolutely nothing remains that had any connection to a Dark past. Only a few personal items remained whole through the process. The manor feels like a home for the first time ever. _

_The one place that I have always wanted to visit is Australia. It's about as far away from here as possible and I've always wanted to know how different it is from England. I don't know much about it, but what I do know sounds interesting to me. I do have a hidden talent that only my mother and father know about. I've played the piano ever since I was very young. My mother seems to think that I'm quite good. The piano is one of the few items that remained through our redecorating process, though we did have it refinished and tuned. I did want siblings when I was younger, but now I'm glad I didn't have any. No one else should have had to live with Voldemort's influence. Someday I want to have more than one child so that he or she doesn't grow up alone. _

_I was going to write a bunch of questions for you, but I thought I'd take a chance instead. Would you be willing to meet me at the café across from the Leaky Cauldron at Charing Cross Road at eleven today? I thought maybe we could have lunch and get to know one another better. If you feel it's too soon, I'll understand. My owl will wait for your response. I hope you'll agree to meet me._

_Yours faithfully, _

_Draco_

Hermione took a few deep breaths to calm the nerves that had suddenly appeared. She quickly found a piece of parchment and wrote a positive response back to Draco. Tying the letter onto his owl, she looked at the clock and began to clean up the room. She had just over an hour to get ready.

She went upstairs and took a fast shower. She used a drying charm to dry her hair and did her best to style it in loose curls. Luckily over the years, the bushiness had gone away and it was now rather manageable. She still wished that it was straight most days as that would be much easier to deal with, but she was able to straighten it without too much hassle. She also wished it wasn't such a boring brown color, but rather black or blonde; brown was just too common. Next she put on some light makeup and then went to find something to wear. One of the first things she found was a pretty white summer dress that fit her well, accentuating her curves and showing off her summer tan. It had been something that Ginny had insisted she buy the last time they went shopping. Then she slipped on a pair of heeled sandals to make herself just over five and half feet tall. Looking in the mirror she thought she looked rather nice.

As she examined her reflection, she thought, 'Why am I nervous and worried about how I look? I hardly ever care about what I wear. I've met Draco before and have never felt the need to dress up for him. Maybe it's because I'm meeting _Draco_ and not _Malfoy_.'

* * *

Draco's owl returned a little after ten and he removed Hermione's short reply from his leg.

_Draco,_

_I would be happy to meet you at the café at eleven. _

_Hermione_

Draco smiled and went to take a quick shower. He dried his hair and combed through it. It was still relatively short and he let it fall naturally. He put on a green dress shirt and rolled up the sleeves and black pants. He smirked at his toned six foot, three inch reflection in the mirror. He even had a slight tan from working outside on the manor and from flying. It was a nice change from his normal pale skin tone. He looked good and he knew it.

As he looked at his reflection he thought, 'I wonder what Hermione will think of me? Whoa, when did I start wondering what she thinks?'

He went down to the entrance hall, said goodbye to his mother as he passed her study and Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron a couple of minutes before eleven.

* * *

Hermione went downstairs and found Ginny and Ron in the living room. They both stared at her as she entered the room.

"Wow Hermione. What are you all dressed up for? Do you have a date?" Ginny asked teasingly. She figured that wasn't it or else Hermione would have told her already.

Hermione blushed and muttered, "No, it's not a date."

Ron narrowed his eyes and said, "But you never get dressed up. You look really good, you must have a date."

"That attitude is part of the reason you and I didn't work. What? I can't look good just for myself? No, I _must_ be seeing someone because that's the _only_ reason why I'd ever get dressed up. Heaven forbid I was just sick of jeans and t-shirts and wanted to try something else when I went out. I _must_ have ulterior motives for putting on a dress," Hermione said bitingly as she threw her hands up in the air.

"Well, what are we supposed to think Hermione? You put on a dress and makeup and did your hair all nice. It's just different and we aren't used to you looking like that just to go out. Plus you never go out by yourself; so we're gonna assume you have a date," Ron replied defensively.

"Draco and I are not going on a date. We're just going to have lunch and talk," Hermione said sharply. Her eyes got huge and she clapped her hand over her mouth after she realized what she had said.

"Draco? Draco fucking Malfoy?" Ron yelled his face turning bright red. Harry, holding Teddy against his shoulder, ran in from the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about.

"You look nice Hermione. Where are you going?" Harry asked innocently while giving Ron a confused look.

"She, she, she has a date with that conniving little ferret Death Eater," Ron sputtered as he shook a bit.

"Really?" Harry asked Ginny. She nodded in the affirmative as she looked back and forth between Hermione and Ron with an excited smirk. She was enjoying the show taking place in front of her.

"Like I said before, it's not a date. Draco and I are just gonna have lunch and talk. We're trying to get to know each other better since we'll be the Head students this year and will have to work together frequently. We've been writing letters to each other the past few days and he's _not_ the person we thought he was. We've made amends and I'm ready to move forward as his friend. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to leave or I'll be late. I'll see you all later." Hermione said firmly as she brushed past Ron to get to the fireplace in the kitchen.

"If you come back," Ron muttered.

Hermione turned around and walked up to him glaring, and though she was significantly shorter than he was, made him cower. Through clenched teeth she seethed, "_When_ I come back you better have a different attitude and you won't talk badly about Draco anymore. You don't know him at all."

"And you do?" He questioned gaining some confidence back.

"Yes, I do. He's a good person and I'm going to be spending time with him. Goodbye." With that said, she walked to the fireplace, threw down the Floo Powder and said firmly, "Leaky Cauldron." With a flash of green flames she left the Burrow.

"Come on Ron. Give her a break. Maybe he's changed. Based on what was revealed to me by Snape's memories and what I saw on top of the Astronomy tower the night Dumbledore died, I testified on his behalf before the Wizengamot. I don't think he ever was the Death Eater that we thought he was. Yes, he was a Death Eater, but I don't think he wanted to be. The last few days Hermione's been really happy and I can only assume it's because of what he's saying to her in the letters. With her parents still missing she doesn't have a lot that makes her excited, but I think Malfoy does," Harry said wisely. Teddy began to fuss a bit and Ginny walked over to Harry to help him.

"I just don't want that git to hurt her. She's like a sister to me and it would kill me if something happened to her. I feel like I should follow her to make sure she's okay. _ If_ she comes back later maybe I will trust him a little bit more, seeing as he didn't kill her or kidnap her. But only a very little," Ron huffed.

"_When_ she comes back Ron. Not if. And you aren't going to follow her. She's a powerful witch who can take care of herself. Besides, she'd probably end up hexing you if she saw you," Ginny said as they all went into the kitchen to find Teddy his lunch and help Mrs. Weasley make theirs.

* * *

Hermione stepped out of the Floo at the Leaky Cauldron and brushed herself off a bit. She looked in the mirror next to the fireplace and removed a smudge mark from her cheek before taking a deep breath and heading out into Muggle London.

Entering the café, Hermione looked around and her eyes rested on Draco sitting at a table for two along the wall. She bit her lip nervously as she looked at the familiar blond man. He caught her eye, waved and stood up as she approached. Hermione's heart started to beat quickly and her palms got a little sweaty as she thought, 'He looks so handsome. Why did I never realize before how good he looks? Who am I kidding; he's always looked good, but my hate for him clouded my view. Wow.' She swallowed the nervous lump that had appeared in her throat as she walked toward him.

Draco saw her the second she walked into the café. He had to force himself to breathe as he thought, 'She looks incredible. I can't believe I've wasted time hating her in the past.' When she got to the table he took her hand in his and kissed it. He gave her his traditional smirk and teased, "Granger. I have to admit, you look beautiful; even if you _are_ a Gryffindor."

Hermione raised one of her eyebrows and returned his smirk as she said, "You may not want to say that too loudly Malfoy, you might get your right to wear green and silver taken away from you. And that would be a shame since you really do look handsome in green."

Draco's smirk was replaced by a true smile as he thought, 'Who would believe that Hermione Granger and I would be standing here flirting? She has that smirk down pat; it's practically a look straight out of Slytherin. I wonder if she's seeing anyone.' Still smiling, Draco held her chair for her and then walked around to the other side of the table to sit. They both looked over the menus while exchanging small talk and placed their order with the waitress.

When they were alone again, Hermione asked quietly, "So how did the great Draco Malfoy, a pure-blood wizard, come to find a Muggle café?"

Draco leaned back in his chair and looked around the café before he replied, "This was my father's favorite café; he found it wildly fascinating to come here and watch all the Muggles interact without magic." His lips twitched at the end as he tried not to smile at his lie.

Hermione didn't miss the twitch of his lips and she said, "Of course, Lucius Malfoy was always a strong supporter of Muggles; everyone knew that. Just like everyone knows that I'm the Queen of England. But really Draco, how did you find this café?"

Draco shrugged and said, "You know how I mentioned that I had read some Muggle books? Well my mother likes to go to the bookshop down the road and we often stop here for lunch. My father doesn't even know it exists."

Hermione smiled in reply and said, "That I'll believe. I'm surprised you wanted to meet me. I figured it would ruin your Slytherin reputation to be seen with me."

Draco scowled a bit while he shifted in his chair. His face softened and he looked vulnerable as he said, "The reputation I had before isn't one I want any longer. I meant everything I wrote in that diary and in my letters. I'm not that Draco Malfoy anymore and I don't want to be ever again. I don't care what my old friends think about me; in fact I don't want anything to do with any of them. I want to distance myself from anyone who supported Vvvoldemort." He still had a bit of trouble using the name in normal conversation, though it was getting easier.

Hermione smiled softly at him and said honestly, "I really am proud of you Draco. You definitely have changed for the better. Thank you again for letting me read about what you went through the last couple of years. It helped me to realize that we weren't the only ones who had a difficult time dealing with Voldemort. I assumed you were just like every other Death Eater and I'm sorry."

Draco looked into her eyes and said seriously, "I don't want you to apologize to me anymore. I was always mean to you and I was a Death Eater. Not by choice, but I still was one. No matter how much I want to deny that, I can't; I have the Mark to prove it. You had no reason to think of me positively and for that _I_ am sorry. I have the opportunity now to make up for my past actions and I'm gonna take advantage of that every chance I can."

"If I can't apologize to you anymore, than you can't apologize to me either. I forgive you and I really like the new Draco Malfoy; he's become a great man. And you may have the Mark, but you were never a true Death Eater. The Mark means nothing now as long as you continue to change your future," Hermione said as she reached over and touched his left forearm which was resting on the table.

Draco twitched when he felt her touch the Mark. He looked down at her hand on his arm and a sad smile appeared on his face. He placed his hand on top of hers and said, "I still wish I didn't have it at all."

"Many of us have scars and marks from the War. They show everyone what we've been through, but we don't have to let them mar our future," Hermione replied wisely as she touched the scar on her neck from Bellatrix's knife with her other hand.

Draco's forehead creased as he looked at Hermione's scar and his eyes flashed with anger as he said, "My aunt was a horrible woman. You didn't deserve to be hurt at all by her. No one did. I hope she rots in hell where she belongs." His face relaxed as he smiled and looked into her eyes. He continued by saying, "Even with that scar, you look beautiful Hermione."

"Thank you Draco," Hermione replied while her cheeks colored slightly.

The more he looked at her, the more he realized he didn't want to stop. Draco was ready to learn more about Hermione so he asked, "So, do you have a jealous boyfriend, like Weasley, that's gonna try to kick my arse the next time I see him for having lunch with you today?"

"No, I don't have a boyfriend; but you may have to watch out for Ron. He was pretty upset that I was meeting you today. He doesn't trust you yet," Hermione said with a slight grimace.

"If you aren't dating Weasley, why not date Potter?" Draco asked dumbfounded. He would have bet that she was dating one of them.

She shook her head and said, "Harry's dating Ginny Weasley; and Ron and I did try dating, but we realized we're meant to be friends and not anything else. Ron's dating Luna Lovegood now. I've been spending most of my time trying to find my parents so dating hasn't been on the top of my list. How about you? Do you have a girlfriend, like Pansy, that's going to try to hex me after being with you today?" Surprising herself, Hermione was really hoping he would say no.

Draco smiled at her curiosity and shook his head. He lightly ran his thumb across her hand that was still on his arm and said, "No, I don't have a girlfriend. Though if I did, I think she'd be pretty stupid to try to hex you. Pansy and I haven't dated for years; even when we did date she drove me crazy. We aren't even friends anymore; I'm quite glad to be rid of her."

Releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding, Hermione whispered to herself, "That's good to know."

Draco smiled slightly as he overheard her. They stared at one another for a minute, neither moving their hands nor saying anything else. The moment was interrupted by the arrival of their food. Draco squeezed her hand and then let go of it. Hermione smiled shyly and pulled her hand back across the table.

As they ate their lunch, Draco asked, "Why can't you find your parents? I know you said you sent them away, but why can't you just go get them?"

Hermione let out a sigh before saying, "I wish it was that easy. I modified my parent's memories so they didn't know anything about me or Harry. I gave them different names and convinced them that they wanted to move to Australia. I don't know exactly where they are and at the time I sent them away, I didn't want to, for fear that Voldemort would somehow find them. It was my way of protecting them. But now it's proving to be extremely difficult to locate them. I have copies of all of the telephone books from Australia and am trying to find their business. I still have close to six hundred books to look through and if they aren't in there I don't know what I'm going to do." Hermione looked distraught as she finished

"You'll find them. You'll travel the whole country if you have to, but I know you'll find them," Draco replied.

"Thanks. So, the manor was remodeled?" Hermione asked changing the subject.

Draco laughed at her not so subtle subject change and a huge grin lit up his face as he said, "Oh yeah, you wouldn't recognize the place. Absolutely everything is different. It's bright, and warm and welcoming. Maybe you might like to see it sometime? I know your memories of the manor are horrible, but I'd like to try to change that. Think about it for a while and if you want to come over, let me know."

"I think I might like to see it sometime. It might help me replace some of my bad memories. I spoke with your Aunt Andromeda this morning and she also told me about how different it is now. I'll let you know when I'm ready to see it," she replied.

"That's great. I promise you won't be disappointed and that there's nothing to fear," Draco said happily.

"Before today I'd never seen you truly smile. Smirk yes, but never a real smile. You have a great smile. You're a really handsome man Draco," Hermione said quietly as she blushed.

Draco reached across the table to pick up Hermione's hand that was resting next to her water glass. He took a deep breath and said, "Before today I never saw you at all. I paid a lot of attention to you in the past, but it wasn't the right kind of attention. I was too focused on the pure-blood mentality to ever see you as the smart, talented and beautiful woman that you are."

Hermione smiled as he paused to take another deep breath before he continued speaking. "I know that today was just supposed to be lunch to get to know one another, but would you ever consider going on a date with me?" Draco asked hesitantly somewhat fearful of her answer.

"Really? _You_ want to go on a date with _me_?" Hermione was shocked and thrilled at the same time.

"Yeah, I do. You're incredible Hermione and I want to spend a lot more time with you," he replied.

"But I'm Muggle-born. Your parents would never approve of me," she said somewhat sadly.

"They've changed too; well, my mother has and she's helping my father to change. But they only want me to be happy; they don't care about blood status anymore. Even if they hadn't changed their minds, I think I could be happy with you. So, will you go on a date with me?" Draco asked again.

"I would love go on a date with you Draco," she could barely contain the giddiness she was feeling.

"Great!" He paused to think for a moment and then said, "I have the perfect idea. It won't be anything fancy, but I think you'll like it. How about two days from now, on Saturday? We can meet at the Leaky Cauldron around one and go from there?" Draco was excited and his eyes were sparkling.

Hermione laughed a little and said, "That sounds wonderful. It's a date!"

They talked for a little longer before Draco walked her back to the Leaky Cauldron where they parted ways with the promise of seeing each other on Saturday. Before she stepped into the fireplace, Draco gave her a hug and a small kiss on the cheek.

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace at the Burrow with a huge smile on her face and her hand on her cheek where he had kissed her. The smile quickly disappeared when she heard Ron snidely remark, "How was your date? I see you survived."

She looked around the room for the source of his voice. Seeing him sitting at the kitchen table she replied, "Of course I survived Ron. Draco won't hurt me. He's kind, honest and a great guy. I enjoy spending time with him and am looking forward to seeing him again on Saturday. Once again, today was not a date."

"So you have another non-date on Saturday?" Ron replied snidely narrowing his eyes and standing up from the table to approach her.

"No, Saturday Draco and I _will_ be going on a date," Hermione smirked. As she said that, Ginny walked into the kitchen.

"You're going on a date with Draco Malfoy? Wow Hermione I didn't think I'd ever hear you say that," Ginny said surprised.

"Why, do you have a problem with it too?" Hermione asked getting a bit irritated.

"Not really. I trust your judgment," Ginny said nonchalantly.

"Well I don't. This is Draco fucking Malfoy. Once a Death Eater always a Death Eater. You can't go out with him. I won't allow you to go," Ron said as he crossed his arms and puffed out his chest.

"You won't allow me to go? You. Won't. Allow. Me. To. Go? Where do you get off thinking that _you_ have any say in what _I_ choose to do? You don't control me Ronald. _I_ will decide who _I_ date and _you_ don't get _any_ say in that decision. This discussion is over. Grow up Ronald." Hermione stormed out of the room and went upstairs to change her clothes.

Ron turned to Ginny and asked, "You don't actually think it's a good idea for her to be spending time with Malfoy, let alone dating him, do you?"

Ginny shook her head and replied, "You really are an arse. Hermione has every right to be mad at you. Who she chooses to date is up to her; and if it's Malfoy than you'll have to learn to accept that. She's one of your best friends and if you don't stop acting like a prat you'll lose her completely. Now I'm gonna go talk to her and you better figure out a way to apologize. Harry's outside with Teddy; maybe he can talk some sense into that thick skull of yours."

Ginny walked up to Bill's old room and knocked on the door as she opened it. She saw Hermione sitting at the desk and looking out the window. Ginny took a step into the room and said, "Hey Hermione. Ron's a git. But forget about him for now. You know you can talk to me about all this if you want."

Hermione turned to face Ginny and said, "I know I can. I'm just worried that you'll act the same way."

Ginny sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Hermione and said, "If you say Malfoy's changed than I believe you. He wasn't ever nice to me, but I never hated him as much as Ron does. Now Lucius on the other hand, I'll never forgive that man for what he did to me."

Hermione nodded in agreement as she thought about Draco's father. His life sentence in Azkaban was too short in her opinion.

Ginny waved her hand in dismissal of the heavy thoughts and said, "I don't wanna talk about Lucius; tell me all about the new Draco Malfoy."

"Oh Ginny, you won't believe how much he has changed," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Try me," she challenged.

Hermione laughed and then replied, "He's so polite, considerate, kind and honest. He's so easy to talk to about anything. We just spent two hours together talking, laughing and enjoying time with one another and I didn't want to leave him when we got back to the Leaky Cauldron. He's nothing like the Draco Malfoy we used to know. I mean, sure he still has the same smirk, but the look in his eyes is different."

Wanting to understand better, Ginny questioned hesitantly, "What made you want to have lunch with him today? I mean I know you were exchanging letters, but it has only been a few days. How do you really know him?" Ginny questioned hesitantly.

"You have every right to doubt him; I know I did. The first letter he sent me made me think that maybe he had changed, but I still wasn't sure and I let him know that. With his next letter he sent me something that made me see him in a completely different light and it changed everything I thought I knew about him," Hermione answered.

"What could he possibly have sent you that made you change your mind so easily?" Ginny asked.

Hermione knew she could trust Ginny and so she didn't feel guilty telling her about Draco's diary. "He sent me his diary from the past two years which allowed me to see him for who he really is. He bared his soul to that diary and it showed me how good he truly is. He never wanted to be a Death Eater, he was in agony over having a mission to kill Professor Dumbledore and everything he did was only done to protect his mother from Voldemort. He has a heart, a conscience and a soul and they're all great. He wanted everything we did; he wanted Voldemort gone and wanted us to win. He's apologized to me for everything he's said and done in the past and has even thanked me, Harry and Ron for what we did to save the Wizarding world. He's wonderful," Hermione finished with a faraway look on her face.

Ginny tipped her head to the side curiously and furrowed her brow as she tried to decipher the look on Hermione's face. Ginny's eyes lit up as she figured it out and she said slyly, "You like him, don't you? And I don't mean in the 'he's my friend' kind of way. You want him as your boyfriend."

Hermione's eyes snapped back into focus and then a flushed look came over her face as she considered Ginny's question. Slowly a smile spread across her face and she began to nod her head. "I think I do. I feel this connection to him that's on a completely different level than everyone else. It's like I've known him my whole life. I've never liked anyone as I like him." she replied.

Ginny's jaw dropped at Hermione's declaration and she shook her head slightly as she said, "Wow. Hermione Malfoy. That's something I never thought I would say or hear."

"He's only asked me on one date. Let's see if I get asked on a second date before we start changing my surname; but being referred to as a Malfoy is starting to sound more appealing than I ever thought it would," she conceded with a laugh.

"I can tell that you're happy and I've never seen you happy like this. My brother never made your face light up like that. Not that my opinion matters, but Draco Malfoy sounds like an okay guy," Ginny said honestly.

"Of course your opinion matters to me; you're one of my best friends Ginny. You'll see for yourself soon that he's a completely new man. You'll help me get ready for my date on Saturday, right?" Hermione asked.

"Try and stop me!" Ginny exclaimed with a giggle.

The two laughed and talked for the rest of the afternoon until they were called to dinner.

* * *

A/N: Last chapter I got no reviews. I was very sad. Was it that bad?

Let's try the review quiz again and maybe that will get a better response. Click on review and type the letter that best applies in the box.

A) Great chapter; I'm looking forward to their date.

B) This was okay.

C) Can this story get any worse? I'm not going to read anymore so it doesn't matter!

D) (Insert your own opinion)

Thank you all for your feedback!


	7. Their Date, Their Destiny, Their Dance

A/N: Just a reminder, if you read this story before 2/19/2012 there are many, many changes that have occurred due to revision.

Disclaimer: JKR has created an amazing world and I'm not her; thus, her world does not belong to me.

* * *

**Chapter Seven ~ Their Date, Their Destiny, Their Dance**

The sky was clear and bright on Saturday morning promising that the day would be hot and beautiful. There had been so many nice days already that summer. The normal clouds and rain had been scarce; almost as if the weather had been tied to the days of Darkness.

Hermione slept late and after she woke, showered and began to get ready for her date with Draco. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and put on some light makeup. She stood in front of her closet, wrapped in a towel as she stared at her clothes.

Ginny came into the bedroom at the perfect moment. Hermione turned to her and said, "Oh Ginny, help! I have no idea what to wear. Draco didn't tell me anything about what we'd be doing and how can I prepare if I don't have a plan? I hate when I'm not in control."

Ginny laughed and said, "Hermione, this isn't a school exam; it's life and it's fun. You have to learn how to be more spontaneous. You of all people should know that even when you have plans, things always happen that you didn't predict; but that doesn't mean that it won't work out for the best. You had plans when you infiltrated the Ministry, but they didn't work and you still got the locket. You had plans when you broke into Gringotts, but they didn't work and you still got the cup. This isn't a mission to find a Horcrux; it's a date with Malfoy."

Hermione turned back to the closet and groaned as she tried again to figure out an outfit. Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione pulled two pairs of dress pants out of the closet. Taking both pairs from her, Ginny put them back and looked at the options in front of her. After a few seconds she nodded to herself and pulled out two pieces of clothing.

Hermione dressed and then looked in the mirror. Ginny had created a cute but casual outfit for her. The khaki skirt and pink tank top were perfect for the hot day and Ginny lent her some matching heeled sandals that would be comfortable if they were walking a lot.

Grabbing a bite to eat in the kitchen before she left, Hermione ran into Ron. She had successfully avoided him the day before since she was mad at him. Ginny gave him a pointed look when they entered the kitchen.

Ron cleared his throat and said, "You look nice Hermione."

She narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing. She slowly took a seat at the kitchen table where some of the lunch Molly had made earlier still remained.

Ron continued, "I'm sorry about the other day. What I said was out of line. I still don't like Malfoy, but I won't try to stop you from seeing him. Don't get mad at me, but can you tell me why you've so quickly changed your opinion of him? He was so horrible to us in the past, and to you especially, and it really confuses me that you can forgive him so easily," Ron said cautiously.

Giving him a tiny smile, Hermione said, "It may seem to you as if my opinion changed quickly; but it wasn't done on a whim. I considered everything he had to say to me in his letters from all different angles. I was very hesitant to trust him, but he did take the first step toward making amends and that gained him his first positive points in my book. He also sent me an account of what he went through the last two years and I was able to see him for the good man that he really is."

"An account? You mean like a diary? Malfoy kept a diary? I knew he was a pansy," Ron snickered.

"Your reaction's exactly why I wasn't going to tell you about it. He didn't have anyone to talk to, so yes he kept a diary. It was his only outlet to be able to express his true feelings about being forced to serve Voldemort. I think you should write in a diary sometime; maybe it'll help you get rid of your pigheaded attitude. I've told you before, just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean that everyone does," Hermione paused and sighed seeing the laughter in Ron's eyes disappear.

She continued calmer, "Look Ron, I don't want to fight with you today. I know you're not ready to trust Draco yet, but I'd like your support. I really like him. When you and I broke up, I didn't think there'd be another man that I could find such a strong connection to and deep friendship with ever again. You'll always be one of my best friends, but I think that Draco may be the one I'm meant to be with for always. It feels as if there are other forces bringing us together; like it's our destinies to be together. Can you at least _try_ to consider that he might not be the same person you always hated?"

Ron narrowed his eyes a bit as he looked at Hermione with concern and said, "Until I see for myself that Malfoy's actually changed I'm gonna worry about you. Just promise me you'll be careful."

Hermione took a slow breath and then replied, "Draco _has_ changed and you'll just have to trust me on that. I'll be careful but there's nothing to worry about."

"Okay. Have fun on your date. I'll see you tonight," Ron said with a small smile.

"Thanks, I'll see you tonight Ron," said Hermione.

"I'm gonna go meet Harry outside. We're gonna go flying. Do you wanna come with us Ginny? Maybe with your help I can convince Luna to come too," Ron questioned his sister.

"Sure, I'll meet you outside in a minute," Ginny agreed. Ron waved and went outside to meet Harry. Turning to Hermione she said, "So, have a good time and I want all the details!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded before Ginny left the kitchen.

At exactly one o'clock Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and into the Leaky Cauldron. She was dusting herself off as Draco appeared. He looked perfect in a black t-shirt and tan pants.

His eyes raked over Hermione as he smirked. Hermione looked him over and whispered, "Wow." Draco's smirk turned into a smile when he heard that.

"Hello, you look beautiful again," he said.

Blushing she replied, "Hi, thanks; I had help."

"Are you ready to go? Where I'm taking you is a surprise so we 'll do Side-Along Apparition if that's okay with you?" Draco asked holding out his arm for her to take.

"That's fine. Let's go." She held onto his arm as he spun. When they arrived at their destination she didn't let go of his arm. He looked down at her and smiled, feeling happy that she wanted to be close to him. He guided them out of the alley they were in and down the street a little bit before stopping.

"Do you know where we are?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked around and noticed a house across the street. Gasping she exclaimed, "William Shakespeare's Birthplace? You took me to Stratford-upon-Avon? Oh Draco this is incredible. I've never been here before but always wanted to come. Thank you!" Her eyes danced with excitement and Draco was relieved that she liked his surprise. Hermione hugged him without thinking about how he would react.

Draco didn't mind as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, inhaling her flowery scent as he did so. Holding her in his arms felt wonderful. She pulled back a little; she looked up at him and asked excitedly, "Can we go on a tour?"

Draco scoffed, his upper lip curling a bit in disgust as he said, "You mean actually enter a Muggle's house? Even he was a famous Muggle, I can't imagine going inside it; what if I catch Muggle germs?"

Hermione was about to tell him off for being rude when she noticed his face. He was trying really hard not to laugh and wasn't succeeding. She pushed against his chest in mock frustration, and took a step away from him.

Laughing at her reaction, he continued, "That's why we're here. Let's go inside." He put his arm around her shoulder, and she didn't remove it, as they walked into the house.

They toured the house and gardens both learning a lot of history and enjoying each other's company. Hermione was thrilled to see the visitor book which included signatures of John Keats and Charles Dickens as she loved their literary works also. They noticed that some of the décor was similar to Hogwarts and they realized that not much has changed since the 1500's. The gardens were traditional English gardens that were both familiar to them and beautiful. Draco was amazed at how hard Muggles had to work in present day without magic; he couldn't even fathom how difficult it must have been for William Shakespeare.

The whole time they toured the house and gardens, they kept in contact with one another, either by Draco's arm around Hermione's shoulder or by holding hands. With each passing minute, they were becoming more and more comfortable with one another. They talked and flirted, laughed and teased; the last seven years were easily forgotten.

Once they finished their tour, Draco said, "Since we're so close, I thought it might be fun to go to the Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardology and see if the Muggles got anything right."

Hermione laughed and said, "That sounds like a great idea. I wonder if any real witches or wizards work there."

They wandered through the museum laughing and pointing out all the things that the Muggles got wrong. A few things were close to being correct, but most were way off the mark. One of the few things that was correct was that non-magical people were referred to as Muggles. As they talked to one another they didn't seem out of place when they used that term, seeing as many of the real Muggles that were touring were saying it too.

The Muggles were laughing at the descriptions of different supposed magical things, and some of the kids were pointing plastic wands at black top hats and trying to do tricks.

One little boy was begging his parents to buy him a flying unicorn so he could play Quibble like a real wizard. Draco leaned close to Hermione and whispered, "Should we find somewhere to make a few corrections? I mean come on, _Quibble_ and _flying unicorns_? There's no way I'd play Quidditch if I had to ride a unicorn; I mean, they can't even fly and not to mention they'll hardly go near a man. Even it was true, can you imagine how difficult it would be to get fourteen unicorns to safely fly in the pitch? It's bad enough that the players have to worry about getting knocked out by Bludgers, I'd never be able to find the Snitch if I had to worry about my flying unicorn too."

Hermione was practically in tears from trying to not to laugh at how seriously Draco was taking the inaccuracies. She bit her cheeks and managed to reply, "Sure Draco, why don't you go ask him if you can correct _Quibble_ and _flying unicorns;_ but that's it, anything else might violate the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy." Hermione pointed at a bored looking teenager wearing a museum badge on his shirt.

Draco nodded seriously in reply and approached the teenager and asked how he would go about correcting some inaccuracies. The teenager looked at him as if he was crazy and said, "Aren't you a little old to believe that witches and wizards are real? You look older than I am and even I know this is all baloney. It was the only job available for the summer or I wouldn't be here at all. So to answer your question, there can't be inaccuracies when it's all fake."

Draco frowned at him and said, "I just wanted to say…"

The teenager raised his eyebrow and interrupted saying, "What did you want to say? Abracadabra? How about Hocus Pocus? Or why not Sim Sala Bim? Go and enjoy the museum and don't take it too seriously." Laughing, he walked to the other side of the room and Draco remained rooted to the spot. Hermione walked up to him and touched his arm lightly to get him to look at her.

Draco looked down at her and said, "Well he was rude. I wonder how he would react if I said Evanesco and his pants were to disappear. How about I say Rictumsempra, and he could try to explain to his boss why he was practically pissing himself from laughing so hard. Or why not Multicorfors and change his hair blue?"

Hermione tried to keep a straight face when she said, "Oh I don't think you should do that Draco; I think he'd look much better with fluorescent green hair." She couldn't help but laugh when she pictured him with green hair.

Her comment seemed to break him out of his thoughts and he rolled his eyes and then began to laugh. "You're right, fluorescent green would be better. Come on, let's find another room before I end up hexing him."

They wandered through the rooms until they came upon one that was dedicated to Astronomy and Divination. They stood in the doorway, not quite entering the room. From somewhere deep inside the room, a woman dressed as a fortune-teller appeared and promised she could tell them their fortunes. Hermione shook her head and tried to turn around to leave.

"Come on; let's see what she has to say about us. It's not like she's a real seer, it'll be funny," Draco encouraged pulling a little on the hand he was holding.

"I never put any stock in Divination. But I suppose she can't be any worse than Trelawney. Fine, let's hear what she has to say about our fortunes," she said with a heavy sigh. Hermione followed Draco into the little stuffy room that reminded them both of Trelawney's classroom and they sat at a small table across from the woman.

The woman looked at the couple for a minute without saying anything. "I sense you are both disbelievers." Hermione snorted and Draco smirked.

"Do not doubt what you are about to hear, the inner eye sees all. I feel great power coming from the two of you. I've never felt such a strong connection like yours before, it's magical. Though I'm not surprised; it was as if you both were calling to me," she said in a mystical voice as Draco and Hermione exchanged an amused look. Hermione muttered so only Draco could hear her, "Of course we were calling to her; we were the only ones near the room." Draco winked back at her barely containing his laughter.

The fortune-teller continued to stare at the couple sitting across from her and tipped her head to the side and her eyes grew wider. She lowered her voice and said, "Not only is your connection to one another magical, but you both are. You're a real wizard and witch. No wonder you don't believe in Divination. You attend Hogwarts, do you not?"

The amused looks on their faces were replaced by looks of shock. Hermione sputtered, "How?"

"My name is Samantha Trelawney. I may not be a witch, but I _am_ a real seer. My cousin Sybill is hardly a real seer, but she _is_ a witch. Many years ago, our family was cursed in reaction to a Prophecy and each generation of our family is only able to have one witch or wizard born into it. Sybill is the witch of my generation. She occasionally makes prophecies, but she cannot recall them as they happen when she's in a trance. I, however, can tell you your fortunes," she said with authority.

Hermione said nothing and sat there with her mouth agape. Draco also appeared to be in shock, but nodded for her to continue.

"While I'm not able to make an actual _prophecy_ about you right now, as prophecies cannot be produced on demand, I will be able to read your fortunes through tarot cards." She began to shuffle the cards and lay them out on the table.

Samantha studied the cards, occasionally picking one up for a closer look before replacing it. Her eyebrows furrowed as she compared cards. Her eyes opened wide after a few minutes and she pointed to each card as she spoke the lines of their fortune. "I see you both have connections to celestial bodies and mythology. Your fates have been intertwined since birth. Your past has been troubled; it's as if there was a dark mark on it. Only recently have you found peace in your lives, both separately and together. Appearances are not always as they seem. That which was lost will be discovered within the fortnight and will affect you both. Others will try to convince you that you're wrong for one another, that your differences are too great; hold fast to one another for together you will thrive. The foundation you build now will support you when the mire becomes clear. You will be bonded together forever through love and from that bond great things will come."

She looked up from the cards at Draco and Hermione and continued, "I am able to read these cards without error. Your past and future could not be any clearer and that's rarely the case. There's often a grey area which is open to interpretation, but there isn't one here. You two are destined to be together forever and always have been. There will be great changes in both your futures; but these changes will only bring you closer. Remember what I've said today."

When she finished, Samantha rose from her chair and left the room. Draco and Hermione were now quiet, each thinking of what she said.

"I hope she's right. If that's what our futures have to hold I don't want them to change," Draco said looking deep into Hermione's eyes.

"I agree. She definitely had a few things correct and I can only hope the rest of what she said is true," Hermione smiled as she took Draco's left arm in her hand and traced the scar-like mark and continued, saying, "We've had enough trouble in our past and I think we could have a great future together."

Draco looked down at her hand on his arm and then looked up at Hermione. He was lost in his thoughts for a moment before he nervously said, "She's right that others will try to convince us we're wrong for one another." He paused and took a deep breath and continued, "I don't care what other people think of us. I want you to be my girlfriend Hermione; will you go out with me?"

A wide smile spread across Hermione's face and she replied, "Yes. I don't care what others think of us. Maybe what _this_ Trelawney said is right, and maybe it's wrong; but even before we heard what she had to say I knew we were right together. I want to be with you too Draco."

He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly, lingering for a few seconds. When he pulled away, they both grinned.

"What would you like to do now?" Draco asked rubbing his fingers across the back of her hand.

"Actually, I think I'd like to see what you've done to the manor, but I'm nervous. You and I have definitely made peace; but I'm still a bit afraid of your mother," Hermione admitted.

Draco's forehead crinkled as he thought about what she said. He sighed and said simply, "She reminds you of my Aunt Bellatrix."

Hermione nodded in response.

Draco smiled softly and said, "They may have been sisters, but they were almost as opposite as their hair color. Don't get me wrong, my mother loved her sister, but they didn't agree on a lot of things. Aunt Bellatrix was a cold, heartless woman and she only loved Voldemort. My mother hated Voldemort even more than I did. She's completely devoted to my father and to me. She hated that Voldemort took us from her and she feared for us every day. She was a good actress when Voldemort was alive; she had to be if she wanted to live. Mother's more like her sister Andromeda. Don't be afraid of her; she wants to meet you properly," Draco said as he tried to reassure Hermione.

Hermione wrung her hands together and chewed on her lip as she thought about what Draco had said. She closed her eyes and tried to picture meeting Narcissa again. In all versions her mind played, the meeting did not go well. But Draco seemed so confident that his mother was not the woman that Hermione was imagining. In her thoughts she said, 'I want to trust Draco on this, but it's _his_ mother and he's always going to be blind when it comes to her. Where's your Gryffindor courage, Hermione? Take a chance and maybe you'll be surprised.' She opened her eyes and said with as much confidence as she could, "I'm ready; take me to Malfoy Manor."

His eyes lit up and he took her hand again and led her from the building back to the alleyway. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him as he Apparated them to Malfoy Manor. They appeared just inside the gates and Hermione was able to see the redone manor as a whole.

"Wow. It looks completely different. That sense of foreboding is gone. Though I do have to admit that the last time I was here, even if it had looked like this, I still would've feared it based on the situation. But everything looks beautiful now. Look at these gardens and that fountain. The yew hedge is so perfectly manicured. It's brilliant," she exclaimed. She walked over to a large rosebush and breathed deeply the sweet smell of the flowers.

"If you think there's a change here, let me show you the inside. You're gonna love it." Draco led her up the path to the front door. Opening it, he guided her through and she gasped at the bright and shining entrance hall.

"You weren't kidding when you said you changed everything. Nothing's the same." Hermione looked around amazed.

Draco stood behind her as she looked around. He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "I want to show you the biggest change. The only room you saw when you unfortunately were here was the drawing room. Come with me and you'll see that it no longer exists. It's now three separate rooms." Draco opened the first door, guided her inside and continued, "Mother created a den where people can go to relax or to gather comfortably. She kept a few personal pictures during the remodel that were important to her and put them in here. Pictures of her and father when they were young, pictures of me as a baby and growing up and pictures of her best friend."

Draco led her into the next room and started, "Mother created this study so there's a quiet place on this floor to work or to read by the fire. She wanted a bit of a sanctuary and as this is quite a bit smaller than the main library, she was able to capture the homey feel that she was trying to achieve. The next room was mine to design." Hermione looked around the study in awe. She couldn't imagine how big the main library was if he considered this room quite a bit smaller. She knew she could spend hours in here just trying to decide which book to read.

"Come on, I'll let you read in here someday. There's a lot more to see." He had to pull her arm a bit to get her to go to the next room. Draco pushed open two large doors and said with pride, "This is my game room. I wanted a place to have fun."

Hermione walked toward the billiards table and touched it lightly. She raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Isn't this a Muggle game? How did you ever discover it?"

Draco picked up one of the cue sticks from a rack on the wall and hit the white ball towards the multicolored balls, sinking three into various pockets at the same time. He smirked at her and said, "Once, when I was younger, Mother and I went into Muggle London, as we did frequently to get books and a few other things that you just can't find in the Wizarding world, and she let me venture off for half an hour. I saw a pub and I figured I'd go get a Butterbeer.

The bartender didn't know what that was so he gave me something called Root Beer instead, yuck. Anyway, there was a kid about my age in there holding a long stick and he asked if I wanted to play a game with him. I told him I didn't know how and he told me all I had to do was to take the stick and hit the balls into the holes. I figured it couldn't be that difficult so I agreed to play. I discovered it was actually pretty fun and I wasn't that bad at it. We played for almost an hour before Mother found me and dragged me out while yelling at me. I always wanted a billiards table after that day and now I finally have one. Let me show you the rest of the manor." Draco placed the cue stick on the table and took Hermione's hand in his.

The couple wandered through the long hallways, galleries and various wings of the manor. Hermione was fascinated with the history of the manor and amazed at the beauty which it contained. With the exception of his mother's room, he showed her all of the rooms, including the cellar. They had some dinner when they toured the kitchen.

The last room he showed her was the largest ball room. Hermione's breath was taken away by the beauty of the room. The setting sun sent streams of red and orange through the floor to ceiling windows that made up two of the walls. They walked down a grand staircase to the marble ballroom floor. Hermione saw an antique grand piano off to the side.

"Draco, will you please play something for me?" she asked.

"I guess, but you owe me a dance then," he replied as he walked toward the piano. She agreed and he began to play. His fingers seemed to glide gracefully across the keys as he played a beautiful piece of classical music by memory. Hermione was enthralled as she sat on a chair next to him. She was fascinated by everything from his movements, to the look of concentration on his face, to the perfection that she was hearing. When he finished the piece, she was stunned into silence. She stared at him in awe with a sweet smile on her face. He stared back at her, admiring her smile, feeling at peace. Finally she found her voice and said, "That was amazing. I've never heard anything so beautiful. I could listen to you play forever."

"I agree with her Draco. That was absolutely beautiful. It's been a long time since I last heard you play like that." Hermione and Draco both turned toward the voice of Narcissa who had entered the ballroom unnoticed by either of them. They both stood up as Narcissa approached the piano. Hermione's heart started to race and it took every ounce of courage she possessed not to hide behind Draco.

Noticing her unease, Draco placed his hand on her lower back to try to calm her as he said, "Mother, I would like to officially introduce you to Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my mother, Narcissa."

Narcissa smiled warmly and said, "It's very nice to meet you properly Hermione. I'm so sorry about what's happened in the past. I know I've been awful to you and your friends, but I hope you can forgive me."

Hermione smiled back, feeling more at ease than she did a minute ago. The coldness that had previously surrounded Narcissa was gone. She observed the similarities between Narcissa and Andromeda and thought that Draco might not have been as blind regarding his mother as she had assumed. Wanting to move forward with a clean slate she said honestly, "It's a pleasure to meet you too Mrs. Malfoy. And all is forgiven; it was the second you saved Harry."

"Thank you for that. Please, call me Narcissa," she said. Hermione nodded once in reply.

"Mother, would you be willing to play for us? My girlfriend has promised me a dance," Draco said as he smirked at Hermione. Narcissa's eyes widened a bit at the term girlfriend, but she really wasn't that surprised by it.

"Of course I'll play for you," Narcissa responded and sat down at the piano. She began to play a waltz.

Draco placed his right hand on Hermione's waist, her right hand was held in his left and she placed her left hand on his right shoulder. They seemed to float across the floor as they moved and spun to the music, both with smiles on their faces. Narcissa watched as they danced perfectly together. Draco had always been an excellent dancer, but she thought Hermione was just as good. It was as if they had been dancing together for years.

Narcissa loved seeing Draco smile and she wasn't sure she had ever seen him happier than he was right now. 'That girl is good for him. I'm glad that he's being given the chance to live his life for himself and maybe he's even finding love. I tried to plan his life once he was born, but maybe this is the witch for him. Plans never seem to work as we wish they would.' She continued to watch the couple as they danced and as the song finished, she saw Draco kiss Hermione softly. A tear of joy slid down her cheek and she quietly left the couple alone.

Hermione and Draco got lost in the kiss for a few minutes. When they broke apart, he picked her up and spun her around. She was laughing as he set her back down. He leaned in and this time kissed her deeply. It was as if there was a fire burning in each of them, consuming them as they embraced each other. Her arms clung tightly to his neck and his hands rubbed up and down her back.

They eventually had to break apart to catch their breath. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and he leaned his cheek on the top of her head.

"This day has been perfect Draco. I don't think I want it to end," Hermione sighed enjoying the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her.

"I don't want it to either," he admitted, knowing that it was in fact the end. With a sigh, Draco put his arm around her and led her from the ballroom toward the entrance hall. On the way they saw Narcissa in the new study looking through a photo album of her and Lucius when they were in school. She looked up as they paused just inside the doorway.

"Narcissa? I wanted to tell you before I left that what you and Draco have done to the manor is absolutely brilliant. You've made it into the perfect home and I look forward to visiting it many times in the future. And thank you for playing for us so Draco and I could share a dance. I had a wonderful time," Hermione said.

"Thank you for the compliments on our home. I wanted nothing to remind us of the past. From here on out the future is bright. And you're very welcome for the music, dear. You both dance exquisitely together. It was a true joy to watch. I hope to be seeing more of you soon. Goodnight Hermione," Narcissa replied.

Hermione nodded to her, "Goodnight Narcissa."

Draco pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head as they turned to leave the study. When they got to the fireplace, Draco sighed and asked, "When will I get to see you again?"

"I promised Ginny that we would spend the day together tomorrow, but would you be willing to come to the Burrow on Monday to help me try to find my parents?" Hermione asked.

"Would the Weasleys let me come to their house?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course they will. Mrs. Weasley will probably be the only one at home and she won't care if you come. Don't worry; I think the only person who'd care is Ron and even he's coming around. But he won't be there. He and Harry have some orientation thing they have to do all day before they can start Auror training. You could come over around ten," she said hopefully.

"I'll be there at ten. Goodnight Hermione," Draco said as he pulled her into another kiss. He didn't want to let her go, but knew that she needed to get back to the Burrow. He broke the kiss and then hugged her close, breathing her scent deeply before letting go of her.

Smiling, she gave him one last peck on the lips before saying, "Goodnight Draco." Then she called out, "The Burrow" as she entered the Floo.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were the only ones in the kitchen when Hermione exited the Floo. They were sitting at the table enjoying a cup of tea together.

"How was your date dear? What did you do?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"It was absolutely wonderful. We had such a great time together. Draco's incredible. He took me to Stratford-upon-Avon and we saw William Shakespeare's birthplace and then we toured the Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardology, which was rather amusing. The Muggles didn't get much right at all. Afterwards he took me back to Malfoy Manor," Hermione said smiling.

Mr. Weasley's eyes opened widely and he gasped, "You went to the manor? Did it bring back horrible memories, are you okay?"

The corners of Hermione's mouth turned up and she got a faraway look in her eyes and she replied, "There's nothing left that can bring back bad memories. They redid the whole place, not a surface was left unchanged; the manor is beautiful. I can hardly wait to go back." She shook her head and refocused on the older couple in front of her. They exchanged a content look after Hermione was done with her explanation.

"The world is definitely a better place now. I'm happy you enjoyed your date Hermione. Draco sounds like he's really changed. Feel free to invite him over any time," said Mrs. Weasley.

"I'd like to have him over on Monday so he can help me try to find my parents, if that's alright?" Hermione asked.

"That's fine. You don't have to ask; if you want him here, he's welcome," replied Mr. Weasley.

"Thank you. Well, I think I am going to go to bed. Ginny and I have a busy day planned tomorrow. Goodnight," Hermione said as she turned to leave the kitchen.

"Goodnight dear, sweet dreams," Mrs. Weasley replied.

As Hermione lay in bed she reflected on her day with Draco. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and her dreams were indeed sweet.

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A/N: I hope you liked their date. The Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardology is a real place in Stratford-upon-Avon and thus perfect for their date! Here is the chapter quiz. Choose the letter that best applies, click review and enter it in the box!

A) Their date was nice. I wish Draco would kiss me!

B) Not good, not bad, just ehh.

C) This was horrible; I can't even believe I'm reviewing.

D) (Feel free to leave your own comments)

Thank you so much! Until next time!


	8. Edible Dark Marks, Angry Hippogriffs and

Sorry this update has been so long in coming…real life is keeping me very busy!

Disclaimer: All things in the Harry Potter Universe belong to JK Rowling…and I'm not her!

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**Chapter Eight ~ Edible Dark Marks, Angry Hippogriffs and Unnecessary Cauldrons**

Sunday was a bit cloudy as Hermione and Ginny Flooed to Diagon Alley late in the morning. Hermione had remained silent on the subject of her date with Draco, knowing that the redhead wouldn't wait long before asking for all the details. Ginny waited until they were sitting at an outdoor table in front of a restaurant before she started interrogating Hermione.

"How was your date? You didn't get home until rather late last night. It must have been pretty good." Ginny had a twinkle in her eye as she began. Ginny was perched on the edge of her seat, practically bouncing in excitement.

Hermione sighed happily and her eyes appeared lost in her memories. She smiled and answered, "You can't even imagine how good it was. Never in my life have I had such a great day. Draco took me somewhere I've always wanted to go, without knowing that I wanted to go there. I learned so much more about him. We went to Malfoy Manor where he showed me the renovations that were made and it was amazing. He played the piano for me, I met his mother, we danced, we kissed a lot, we laughed and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I feel like I'm flying without a broom."

Ginny had stopped bouncing and was now looking at Hermione in shock. Her jaw had dropped and she couldn't manage to say anything.

Hermione stopped smiling and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ginny shook her head to clear it and asked, "You're really dating him and you kissed him? You voluntarily went to the manor?"

Hermione nodded in reply. Ginny relaxed and she said, "Wow. I mean, that's great. It still seems crazy to me that you two would wind up together, but it really is a good thing. It seems like you're moving so fast, but I guess you aren't. You've known each other for seven years. You're just seeing each other differently now. There really is a thin line between love and hate and you two have crossed it."

Hermione nodded again and said, "I could easily see myself loving him. He's so romantic and wonderful."

"I didn't know that Draco Malfoy had it in him to be romantic. Snarky and smug yes, but romantic? Is he a good kisser?" Ginny teased while wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione laughed and replied, "The best. I think I could kiss him forever. And the feeling I get when he holds me in his arms—I feel safe and loved and it's just perfect."

"I'm glad he makes you happy. Who would've predicted this would happen?" Ginny asked rhetorically.

Hermione stared at Ginny for a second before she said, "It's weird that you say that. We had our fortune told at the Muggle's Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardology yesterday and the woman actually gave me some things to think about. I'm really hoping that what she said is true."

Ginny raised an eyebrow and said, "I thought you didn't believe in Divination? I'd think you'd be even more skeptical hearing your fortune from a Muggle."

Hermione bit her lip and said, "Well, she wasn't exactly a Muggle. Her name's Samantha Trelawney and she's Professor Trelawney's cousin. She's not a witch, but she claims to be a real seer. She knew that we're magical and attend Hogwarts. She also said that she knew Professor Trelawney wasn't really a seer, but had made some prophecies in the past while in a trance."

Ginny snorted quietly. "She got the part about Professor Trelawney not being a real seer right. What did she tell you though?" Ginny asked.

"She told us she wanted to tell us our fortunes. She sounded just like Professor Trelawney with talk of the 'inner eye.' She said she could feel great power from us and a strong connection that was magical. We were still skeptical, but yet it was true. Then she read our tarot cards. She told us we had connections to celestial bodies and mythology. That was right, I mean he's Draco and I'm Hermione. She also said our past was troubled as if there was a dark mark on it and only recently have we found peace in our lives. And also that, appearances are not always as they seem. Could that have been more correct?" Hermione paused to let Ginny process the first part of the fortune.

Ginny's jaw had dropped a bit and she said, "Wow. Professor Trelawney wouldn't have come anywhere near as close as that. The best use her crystal balls ever got was when she dropped them on Death Eaters and her Tarot card readings are utterly useless. So far all of that was about the past. Did she have anything to say about the future?"

Hermione nodded and said, "That's where it gets a little odd, yet I do hope she was right. She said, 'that which was lost will be discovered within the fortnight and will affect us both. We need to hold fast to one another. Together we will thrive.' I hope that means that we'll find my parents, but I'm not sure how that will affect us both. I don't know what else is lost and definitely not something that will affect us both. The next thing she said was confusing and I don't know what it means exactly. She said, 'the foundation we build now will support us when the mire becomes clear.' The part that I really hope is true is the last thing she said. It was, 'we will be bonded together forever through love and from that bond great things will come.' Draco said if that is what our futures hold than he doesn't want them to change at all."

Hermione paused again before continuing. "Draco and I know we're gonna have a hard time getting everyone to accept our relationship. There will be a lot of people that try to interfere in our lives, but we both know it will be worth it if we get to be together. He told me that he doesn't care what others think and then he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes and then he kissed me for the first time."

"Aww. That's so sweet. I have to keep reminding myself that it's Malfoy we're talking about. He really seems to be a whole new person," Ginny said. She still had her doubts, but she was willing to try to put them aside for her friend.

The girls talked more after they finished their lunch. Hermione told her all about Malfoy Manor and the changes that were made to it and all about meeting Narcissa.

"I've never had the same contact with her that you, Harry and Ron have had. What was it like to meet her again?" Ginny asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Meeting Narcissa was difficult, but I think that the war really did change her attitude. I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about her; but I think, given time, I could really come to like her. Now Lucius on the other hand, I'm really glad he's in Azkaban right now. I think I'll always dislike that man. He has a lot more to make up for than Narcissa ever did and it will take more than an apology to just me to begin to make up for his transgressions," Hermione's eyes narrowed as she thought of all the problems Lucius had caused in the past.

"I agree. I never want to see him again," Ginny said with a shudder as she remembered how Lucius had almost ended her life.

"Draco says he should be in Azkaban for the next thirty years or so. His previous life sentence was reduced because he did repent, but he still has to serve time for the Azkaban break-out and previous crimes. Maybe after thirty years we'll all be able to tolerate him a bit," she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Maybe, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. He's an awful man. Well, I'd rather not dwell on Lucius's future; I think it's time to do some shopping," Ginny said changing the subject when she noticed the waiter glaring at them for taking up one of his tables for so long. The two witches left the restaurant and ventured off in search of something new.

They went to a few shops and bought a few small items here and there. They had stopped right outside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and were looking at the display in the window. Neither witch noticed the wizard that came up behind them.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for loitering, Miss Granger!" exclaimed a voice that sounded exactly like Professor Snape's.

Hermione whipped around in horror to see Draco with a huge smirk on his face. She gave him a soft glare as she said, "Malfoy that wasn't funny. You scared me; I thought Professor Snape was back from the dead. And you know you can't take points from houses in the summer!"

Draco pretended to pout. He took a step closer to Hermione and asked, "How about I give you a kiss to make up for it?"

Hermione pretended to consider his question for a few seconds before her whole face lit up and she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

After the kiss, Draco said, "You totally earned your twenty points back with that kiss. Who knew my little Gryffindor bookworm could kiss like that?"

Hermione blushed and smacked him lightly on his chest and exclaimed, "Draco! Why I should take ten points from Slytherin for mocking your former Headmaster and for scaring the daylights out of me."

"How about I kiss you again and we'll call it even?" Draco asked seductively.

"Fine, if you must," Hermione said with a pretend air of indifference, though when his lips met hers, she melted into him and her fingers weaved their way through his hair.

Ginny watched the couple interact and was amazed at the scene before her. Obviously Draco was acting differently, but she couldn't believe the change in Hermione too. She was playful and relaxed. Ginny was starting to believe that Draco was truly the one for Hermione.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your girl's day, but I saw you from across the street and I had to come over. I couldn't resist teasing you a little," he said with a smirk as they broke apart.

"I forgive you. So, what brings you to Diagon Alley today? I didn't think I would get to see you until tomorrow," Hermione questioned.

"Mother had a few things she wanted to buy for the manor and I decided to come with her," Draco answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Hi Ginny. Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you," Draco addressed Ginny.

"Hi Draco," Ginny replied hesitantly the name feeling foreign on her tongue. She was surprised he had called her by her first name and she had felt the need to reply similarly.

"So this is your brother's store?" He asked her without any reaction to her unease.

"Yeah, haven't you ever been in it?" she asked.

Draco raised an eyebrow and shook his head a little and said, "Uh, no. It isn't a place that I was ever welcome. That's not to say that I've never used their products; I've just never been inside the store."

"Why don't you come in with us? I think you'll like it," Ginny told him, surprised at the ease with which she had spoken to him.

"Okay," he put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gestured for Ginny to lead them inside the store.

His eyes were wide with wonder as he took in all of the Weasleys' products. Ginny caught George's eye as they walked in and she went to talk to him as Hermione and Draco walked around the store.

Ginny met George near the portrait of Fred which started talking, "Why is there a Death Eater in the store and why is he touching Hermione? Why aren't either of you rescuing her?"

George narrowed his eyes and took a slow breath before saying, "Well Fred, apparently Hermione's dating the ferret."

"How did you find that out? They only had their first date yesterday," Ginny asked as she stared at George with confusion.

George shrugged his shoulders and said, "Dad dropped off a box of Nosebleed Nougats this morning that I had stored in our old room. We ran out yesterday and I needed more for the Skiving Snackboxes I was making up for the next school year. He told me about Hermione and Malfoy. I didn't want to believe him, but I guess I have to now. I hate Death Eaters." George glared across the store and his lip curled a bit in distaste.

"I'm not too fond of them myself. My last encounter with one didn't end the best. Make him eat an Edible Dark Mark. That'll teach him a lesson," replied Fred. George started to reach into the bin labeled, 'They'll Make Anyone Sick!' as Ginny glared at him. He slowly pulled his hand out of the bin.

"Stop it you two. Hermione really likes him. She says he's changed and that he never wanted to be a Death Eater. From what I've seen so far, he has changed. For Hermione's sake give him a chance. Now be nice. Here they come." Ginny gave one more glare to George and the portrait before turning toward Hermione and Draco.

"This store is great. Zonko's can't even begin to compare to what you've done. Everything really is incredible magic," complimented Draco.

"Did you hear that George? Another person who thinks we're better than Zonko's! Make sure that gets added to the running tally. Soon we will have converted everyone," said portrait Fred with a maniacal laugh.

"Yes I heard Fred. Just because I only have one ear doesn't mean that I can't hear. That's the fifth time today you've asked me if I heard something. One more time and I'm going to turn your frame around again so you can't see anything and cast the Muffliato Charm so that _you_ can't hear anything ," George threatened. Then he turned toward Draco and said coldly, "Thanks for the compliments Malfoy. Don't hurt her; she's like another sister to me and I don't trust you yet."

Draco looked right into George's eyes, hugged Hermione closer and said, "I understand. I won't hurt her. She means a lot to me."

George returned Draco's look and nodded as he walked around the counter to help some customers.

Ginny, Hermione and Draco wandered around the store for the next hour laughing, talking and looking at all of the Weasleys' best products. Draco left the store with a huge package of things he had found.

"I had a great time in there. But I think it's time that I meet Mother. I'm sure she's done with her shopping now. I'll see you tomorrow at ten." Draco gave Hermione a kiss and then said, "Goodbye Hermione; Ginny, it was nice seeing you again."

Both witches said goodbye and decided that they had done enough shopping for the day and headed back to the Burrow to help Mrs. Weasley prepare for dinner.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in the living room Monday morning just before ten reading through some of the telephone books while waiting for Draco to arrive. Mrs. Weasley was in the garden, Ginny was visiting Luna, Harry and Ron were at the Ministry for orientation and Mr. Weasley was at work.

At exactly ten, the fireplace in the kitchen flared green and Draco appeared. He stepped hesitantly out of the fireplace as he did not see anyone right away. He slowly walked around the corner toward the living room, not exactly sure where he should go. He was practically knocked over when seemingly out of nowhere Hermione flew into his arms.

"Draco, you came!" she exclaimed.

He laughed and kissed her in greeting. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and said, "Of course I came. I know I just saw you yesterday, but I missed you."

Hermione smiled at him and then said, "I know what you mean."

Draco looked around the room uneasily and said, "It's okay that I'm here, right? I know you said it would be okay, but I can't imagine that the Weasleys want me here. Ginny was nice to me yesterday, but I'm a Malfoy and having me in their house can't sit well with them."

"They're all slowly coming around. Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley say they're fine with you being here. Ron's the only son that still lives here and well, he's at orientation today. But _I_ want you here Draco, so please, sit down with me," Hermione stated. Draco looked at the couch a bit before he walked toward it.

Draco took a seat with Hermione on the couch and said, "It seems a bit surreal to be welcomed into the Weasley's home and to have you as my girlfriend. Do you think your parents will accept me in your life? I'm sure you 've told them of how I treated you in the past; they're gonna hate me."

"I have told them about our past, but they won't hate you. They always wanted me to be happy and they'll see that you make me happy. You wrote that you want to go to Australia sometime; you'll come with me if we can find them, right?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Of course, I wouldn't want you to go alone and it'll give me the opportunity to spend a lot more time with you. I'm glad that you want me to go with you, but don't you want to go with Potter and Weasley, sorry, Harry and Ron, or even Ginny instead of me?" Draco questioned.

"That was the original plan, but if we can find them, Harry and Ron will have Auror training to attend, and Ginny's not yet seventeen. Besides, I want you to come with me," Hermione replied sheepishly. She and Ginny had talked about the trip to Australia the day before, and if it occurred any time soon, Ginny's parents wouldn't let her go while she was underage. Hermione really wanted Draco to be the one to go with her.

"Then I'll go with you," Draco replied.

Hermione released her breath and said, "Okay, let's get to work. There are a lot of telephone books to go through and I can use all the help you can give me."

They each picked up a book from the coffee table in front of them. Hermione described what he should look for and they began to page through the books.

Mrs. Weasley came inside about fifteen minutes after they had started. "Welcome Draco. I see Hermione already has you hard at work."

Draco stood up and said, "Thank you for welcoming me into your home Mrs. Weasley. It means a lot to me. I hope that I'll be able to help Hermione find her parents."

Mrs. Weasley smiled at Draco and nodded her head at his comments. "Well I won't bother you anymore. I'm going to clean the kitchen and then get started on some lunch. Don't worry about anything, I'll bring it in here when it's ready and you can eat while you work."

She left the couple alone and went into the kitchen. As they worked, Draco occasionally glanced at Hermione and watched her work. Her habits that he had observed over the years, ones that he used to find irritating, he now found endearing. The way her forehead would crease in frustration when the book in front of her wasn't yielding results made him want to reach over and smooth the lines. When her eyes would fly across the pages in her search, he wanted to be the object she was looking at. He watched as her teeth bit her lip in concentration and he wondered how it would feel to have those teeth scrape against his skin. More than once he had to readjust his position so he didn't embarrass himself.

An hour and a half later and fifty more telephone books on the discarded pile, Mrs. Weasley brought out lunch. Hermione and Draco took a break to eat.

"This is the best stew I've ever had. Mrs. Weasley made this? Not a house-elf?" Draco asked as he ate.

Hermione nodded and said, "They don't have a house-elf. Mrs. Weasley's an excellent cook. Just wait until you try the Treacle Tart."

As they finished their lunch and the best Treacle Tart Draco had ever eaten, Hermione said with tears in her eyes, "I feel like I'm falling apart Draco. I managed to hunt Horcruxes and help defeat Voldemort; but the thought of never finding my parents brings me to tears. What if they didn't go to Australia like they were supposed to? Was it even necessary to hide them? What if I did the charm wrong and they aren't Wendell and Monica Wilkins? What if they were discovered by some Death Eaters?"

Draco reached over and wiped a few stray tears off her cheek and said softly, "They weren't discovered. Voldemort went to your old house to capture you and probably kill them and it was empty. He didn't waste much more time trying to find you all himself. He assumed you were in hiding with your parents and he was focused on other things. He did have Death Eaters keep an eye out though. You did the right thing hiding your parents. I'm sure you did the charm correctly; you're a brilliant witch. Don't second guess yourself. You'll find them and I'll help you. We'll do this together. Remember what Samantha Trelawney said? 'Together we will thrive;' I don't know if what she said is true or not, but I'm choosing to believe that it is. I believe you're my future and I'll be there for you always." When he finished, he kissed her softly.

Hermione rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. They both looked up and slowly pulled apart as Ron entered the room. He ran his fingers through his red hair before he sighed and said to Draco, "I came home for lunch and Mum said you were in here. I _was_ gonna come in here and kick your arse out; but then I overheard what you told Hermione. You _might_ be an okay guy Malfoy. I still don't like you though. Don't hurt her or I will kick your arse."

"You _might_ be okay too Weasley. I promise I won't hurt her," Draco replied honestly.

"You better not. Well, I'm just gonna grab some lunch and get back to the Ministry. Good luck with the search Hermione." Ron turned and left the room.

About an hour later, Draco said excitedly, "I think I found them. 'Drs. Wilkins and Wilkins, L.D.S. in Brisbane, Australia' it lists an address and a telephone number but no other information. Do the Weasleys have a telephone?"

Hermione practically ripped the book out of Draco's hands to examine it closer and said, "I can't believe you might have found them! There isn't a telephone here, but Kingsley said I could use the one at the Ministry if I needed one. Oh Draco, thank you so much." She kissed him with excitement.

"Let's go and call now. You need to find out if it's them or if we have to keep looking," Draco said rationally.

"But it's nighttime there. No one would answer; I'll have to wait until early tomorrow morning," she said sadly.

"Let's try anyway. What can it hurt? I'll go with you early in the morning if this doesn't work," Draco tried to convince her while standing and pulling her up along with him.

"Okay, let's go now," Hermione replied with a small laugh as she was being dragged into the kitchen. They stepped into the fireplace together to Floo to the Ministry.

After passing through Ministry security, Hermione and Draco took the elevator to Level One and walked to Kingsley's office. Kingsley Shacklebolt smiled as his guests entered his office. He walked around his desk to greet them.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, it's nice to see you both. Arthur told me that you two were dating. I'll admit that I was surprised. Minerva and I have had quite a few discussions regarding the next year at Hogwarts and she seemed to think that it would be difficult to have you both as Head Students given your past relationship. Dare I say that her idea to have you write letters to one another was in fact the push you needed to overcome your differences?" Kingsley asked in his deep soothing voice.

"Good afternoon Kingsley. Yes, Professor McGonagall definitely is to be given credit for helping us come together. Both of our lives have changed for the better," Hermione said as she glanced toward Draco with a small smile.

"That's just wonderful. Well, I'm guessing that you didn't come here today to simply share your relationship with me. Have you located your parents in Australia?" Kingsley questioned.

Hermione nodded and replied, "Draco found a telephone number that seems promising. We know that it's late in Australia, but we're hoping to call the number and see if perhaps there's a recorded message or anything that can tell us more information. May we use the telephone? If there isn't an answer, we'll be back tomorrow morning to call again, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course you may use the telephone. I need to discuss something with my assistant. I'll be back in a few minutes. Please have a seat at my desk and make your call. I wish you luck." Kingsley nodded at the couple and turned and left the office.

"Here goes nothing," Hermione said as she walked to Kingsley's desk and sat in his chair. She looked around the office and noticed the deep blue velvet curtains that covered the magically charmed windows. The windows were showing a clear night sky lit with stars and a full moon. She wondered if that was what the night sky looked like in Australia right now. Her shaking hand slowly reached across the mahogany desk and picked up the silver telephone and dialed the number.

Hermione held her breath and Draco rubbed soothing circles on her back. It rang four times before connecting to an answering machine. "You have reached the dental offices of Doctors Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Our office hours are Monday through Thursday, nine a.m. until six p.m. and we are closed Friday through Sunday. At the tone please record your message and we will return your call as soon as possible." Hermione replaced the receiver on its cradle before the tone could sound. She had tears of joy streaming down her face. She jumped out of the chair and embraced Draco.

"It's them. That was my father's voice. I can't believe it's really my parents. We found them Draco," she cried.

Draco held her close as she cried, releasing all of her pent up emotions. When she had finally calmed down, he said, "When Minister Shacklebolt comes back we'll discuss how to go about getting them back home. Do you really want me to come with you?"

She nodded. "Please come with me Draco. I need you there; I don't think I can do this without you. Will your mother care if you leave with me?" she responded.

Draco shook his head and said, "Not at all. She knew why I was going to the Weasley's house today. I told her about your parents yesterday and she knows I'll do whatever it takes to help you. That includes going with you, even if it's only to hold your hand. A herd of angry Hippogriffs won't stop me from being there for you; and you know how much I hate Hippogriffs!"

Hermione was laughing as Kingsley reentered his office. "Did you have any success?" he asked.

Draco replied with a slight smile, "She found them. They're in Brisbane, Australia. I'm going to be accompanying her on her trip. How soon do you think we can go there?"

Kingsley held up his finger walked to his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a file and began to riffle through the papers. Once he found the papers he was looking for, he said, "I'll contact St. Mungo's right now. They'll be sending a Healer from the Spell Damage Ward that specializes in reversing Memory Charms and will evaluate your parents. Depending on the strength of the charm you placed on them, they may need to be admitted to St. Mungo's to properly restore their memories. The Healer will help with transportation in that case. I believe that I can have everything arranged for you to leave tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. You'll need to meet at the Portkey Office on Level Six and you'll leave from there. You'll be given a second Portkey to return to St. Mungo's where your parents will be given a cursory evaluation after traveling by Portkey or will be admitted if necessary. Since the time and date of your return is not yet known, it will be activated when you use the Portus Charm. I'll have all the necessary paperwork for you in that office. Good luck and be careful." Kingsley extended his hand to first Hermione and then Draco.

"You have no idea how much it means to me to get my parents back home. Thank you so much for all of your help Kingsley," Hermione said gratefully.

"You're very welcome. It's the least I can do after you helped rid the world of Voldemort. Goodbye Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said with a nod.

When Draco and Hermione returned to the Burrow, Hermione started to panic. "We're leaving tomorrow. There's so much to do. I haven't even researched anything about Australia. We have to pack. We have to say goodbye to everyone. I'm gonna need to go to Gringotts and change some money. Oh, no, can I even go to Gringotts? The last time I was there we broke into the Lestrange's vault. They might not let me back in even if it's just to change money. They could arrest me and then I won't get to find my parents. What am I gonna do Draco?" she asked hysterically.

"First you're gonna breathe. We don't need to know anything in particular about Australia. We'll just do whatever we have to do while we're there and if we do happen to have free time, we'll be spontaneous. The only person I have to say goodbye to is my mother, so I'll help you with anything you need before returning home to pack. Why don't you go pack and I'll go to Gringotts and take care of the money. I'll be back soon. Stay calm," Draco said with a kiss to her forehead before he left for Gringotts.

An hour and a half later Draco returned to the Burrow and was greeted by Ginny in the kitchen. "Hi Draco. Hermione's upstairs packing. She's going crazy; I'm not sure you want to go up there, but it's up to you," she said.

"Hi Ginny. Thanks, I think I'll go up; she probably needs some help," Draco replied.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," she said in a singsong voice.

Draco wandered up the narrow staircases trying to locate Hermione. After climbing for a while, he was almost hit in the head as bottles of shampoo and conditioner went flying up the stairs toward one of the rooms. He followed the bottles and found Hermione surrounded by piles of clothes, shoes, books and everything else she wanted to pack.

"Um, hi?" Draco said hesitantly.

"You're back already? That was fast," she said as she waved her wand and said, "Accio hairbrush." Draco ducked as it went flying toward her.

"It really wasn't that fast. I was gone about an hour and a half. There was a line at Gringotts," he replied.

"It's been an hour and a half? I could've sworn it was only ten minutes. I have this feeling I'm forgetting something," Hermione said and began digging through the piles trying to see everything she had found so far.

"We'll probably only be gone a couple of days. You seem to be packing everything you own and then some. I don't think you'll need all of this stuff," Draco said.

"I want to be prepared for everything. You never know what we'll need when we get there," she answered sounding logical.

"I know, but do you really think you need your cauldron?" he asked picking it up from one of the piles.

"What if we have to brew a potion?" she asked.

He stood right in front of her and looked straight into her eyes and said, "Hermione. Hey, look at me. I know you want everything to go perfectly, but as long as you have clothes, your wand, and maybe a few personal items you'll have everything you need. If we need something else we'll buy it there. We aren't going to an uncharted territory where you need to pack for every scenario. We're going there to get your parents and to bring them back."

"You're right. This is silly," she said with a sigh. She waved her wand a few times and some clothes, books and other things she needed flew into her small beaded handbag and everything else returned to where it belonged.

"How the ruddy hell-?" Draco asked in amazement as he looked at the handbag.

Hermione laughed and said, "That's exactly what Ron said when he first saw it too. It's an Undetectable Extension Charm. I carried everything we needed when we were gone last year in this bag. It was very useful."

"You really are a brilliant witch," Draco said as he looked at her with awe.

"Thank you. Now that I'm packed, would you like to stay for dinner?" Hermione asked with a kiss.

"I think I'll pass for tonight. I still need to talk to Mother and pack for myself. How do you do that Undetectable Extension Charm?" Draco asked as he picked up the handbag and studied it.

"I'll come over tomorrow morning at nine and add your things to my bag; then we can Floo to the Ministry together," Hermione replied with a smirk.

"Fine my little witch, don't reveal your secrets. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Owl me if you need anything else," he said. Draco couldn't resist giving Hermione a long goodbye kiss.

"Oi, no snogging in my house. Great, now that I have that image in my head I'm not gonna be able to eat dinner. Hermione you might want to remove the Malfoy from your face soon, Mum said dinner was in five minutes. And don't think I won't kick your arse just because Malfoy. I still don't like this one bit," Ron crinkled his nose and left the room muttering under his breath.

Hermione walked Draco to the fireplace and gave him one more kiss before sending him home with the promise to see him in the morning. She spent the rest of the evening with the Weasley family and then went to bed anxious for the morning to arrive.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story so far. If you liked this chapter or even if you didn't, please, please, please review. I don't care if it is signed or anonymous. If you took the time to read this chapter, please take 30 more seconds to type a letter or a comment. Any feedback is great!

Please pick the letter that best suits your opinion and then click the review button and type it in the little box.

A) I want to go to Australia with my own Draco!

B) I guess Draco is okay, but I would rather read a story about Ron.

C) Forget about wizards, I would rather read a story about vampires.

D) (Other comments greatly appreciated!)

Thank you so much!


	9. Lucius' Request, Draco's Confession and

A/N: Thank you so much to my lovely reviewers! My favorite was from Cecelia1204 who said she was in Australia but couldn't find Draco…all I can say is that wizards do a really good job hiding their world from us Muggles so look harder! And also to GeorgieCain…I really hope you still did well on your exam, but feel honored that reading my story was a worthwhile excuse to skip your revision! I know a few of you have asked me questions in your reviews; but to keep you in suspense, I'm not going to answer them. You will just have to read to find your answers! Thank you again to my wonderful readers and reviewers!

* * *

_**Chapter Nine ~ Lucius' Request, Draco's Confession and Hermione's Worries**_

Hermione arrived at Malfoy Manor by Floo at nine the next morning. She was greeted by a house-elf, named Haddie, who directed her to Draco's room. His door was open and Hermione paused in the doorway to watch him for a moment.

Draco was lying on his four-poster king-sized bed fully dressed with his eyes closed. The black curtains were hanging down on two sides of the bed, leaving open only the side facing the door. Light streaming in from the open curtain seemed to highlight his body. He was dressed all in black, a tight black t-shirt clinging to him, showing off his defined chest and arms. His arms were behind his head, and his entire appearance was in striking contrast to the light silver bedding.

Hermione had never felt more attracted to a man than she did at that moment and her feet carried her forward toward him. Draco didn't hear Hermione as she entered the room. She smirked as she quietly ran across the room and jumped on top of him, dropping her handbag on the carpet.

"Oof! Good morning to you too. I'm glad you're light or that might have hurt," Draco groaned while wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and it was his turn to smirk as he raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at him before leaning in to kiss him enthusiastically. Draco wasted no time in returning the kiss and quickly deepened it. One of his hands combed through her hair and the other kneaded her lower back, while his tongue massaged hers. Without breaking the kiss, Draco rolled them over so he was on top of her. He kept most of his weight off from her, but made sure his body was in contact with hers. Hermione raised her hips slightly and was met with his very evident arousal. Draco quietly moaned and began to kiss down her jawline and to her neck.

She sighed happily and her eyes remained closed while Draco lavished her with kisses. Eventually her senses came back to her. She removed her hands that were wound in his hair and trailed them down to his shoulders saying, "As much as I'm enjoying this, and I'm really, really enjoying this; we need to get going. But I promise we can continue this later." She finished by lightly kissing his lips, which had ventured back to hers.

Groaning, Draco rolled off her and sat on the edge of his bed. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it and turned to look at a rather disheveled looking Hermione, lying sprawled across his bed. His eyes lit up as he noticed the love bite on her neck. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she looked at his expression. She got off the bed and went to look in his mirror. "Draco Lucius Malfoy! Did you have to do that? It's a good thing I know how to conceal it or you'd be in so much trouble," she threatened as she pointed her wand at her neck and murmured a spell.

"Really? Would you punish me? It isn't my fault you're so bloody sexy. Besides, didn't you jump me?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"That isn't the point," she replied blushing. She tried to comb through her hair to fix it, but realized it was a lost cause and said another spell to help her.

"Oh? And what is the point?" he teased.

"The point is that we're gonna be late if we don't get moving. Where's your stuff to take along?" Hermione asked now in control of herself and the situation. She picked up the beaded handbag from the floor and placed it on his desk. Draco pointed to a pile of things on his dresser. Using her wand, Hermione lifted the pile and put everything in the bag.

"How much extra did you pack after I left?" Draco asked as he tried to look inside the bag.

Hermione quickly snapped the bag closed and responded, "Not that much. Just a couple of things." Draco raised one eyebrow. "Okay, fine, quite a few more things. But it's mostly books on Australia that I didn't get to read yet. I only packed the ones that apply to where we're going," she admitted.

Draco just shook his head and said, "It is almost half nine now, we should probably get to the Ministry."

She nodded and followed him downstairs to the entrance hall. Narcissa stepped out of the Floo as they were approaching. "Oh good, I made it back from Andromeda's before you left. I won't keep you because I know you need to leave. Take care of each other. Now, both of you give me a hug and then get out of here," she said with a wink.

She lightly hugged a very stiff and nervous Hermione first and whispered, "Hermione, I know you can take care of yourself, but Draco will watch out for you and help you when you need it. Be careful and I wish you good luck."

"Thank you Narcissa; and though I can take care of myself, I need him more than he knows. Thank you for letting Draco come with me," Hermione whispered back to her, feeling a bit awkward hugging Narcissa. She relaxed once she was out of the older witch's arms.

Next Narcissa embraced Draco tightly and whispered to him, "Draco, take care of her. I know you love her; I can see it in your eyes. Be careful and good luck. I love you son."

Draco hugged her tighter and replied, "She means everything to me; I'll take good care of her. I love you too, Mother. We'll be back soon."

"Okay, enough goodbyes. You two need to go now. See some sites while you're there and have fun." Narcissa waved as they stepped into the fireplace to Floo to the Ministry.

* * *

Hermione and Draco walked into the Portkey Office ten minutes before they were to depart. They were given an umbrella which would transport them to the Australian Ministry in Brisbane and a stuffed bear to transport them back to St. Mungo's when they were ready. They were also given paperwork regarding their reasons for International Portkey travel signed by the Minister and some other paperwork to make their travels easier. Hermione placed the bear and the paperwork in her handbag. A middle aged Healer named Carl Featherstone arrived a couple minutes after they did.

"You're obviously Miss Granger and you must be Mr. Malfoy. I'm Healer Featherstone, please call me Carl. I'll be accompanying you to assess and possibly repair your parents' memories. Don't get your hopes up as it completely depends on the strength of the Memory Charm that was placed on them. I've read a lot about you Miss Granger and I'll not be surprised if you've done exceptional spell work," Carl said.

"Please call us Hermione and Draco. Thank you very much for coming with us. I'm anxious to be reunited with my parents and am hoping that I didn't do any damage to them when I cast the charm," Hermione admitted.

"We'll find out soon. Are you both ready? I think we have just one minute left before we leave," he replied as he looked at the clock on the wall.

Draco, Hermione and Carl grabbed onto the umbrella as it began to glow. Soon they were being transported to Australia. It was not an exceptionally fast trip due to its distance and from time to time they bumped into one another as they traveled, making it rather difficult to hang onto the umbrella. Hermione and Draco not only held onto the umbrella, but also held each other's hand as well.

After what seemed like an eternity by Portkey standards, they began to slow down and were able to let go and land gracefully in a large field used specifically for Portkey arrivals. Once they landed, the field transformed into a plain, white hallway, which lead to the Portkey Office in Brisbane. There they were greeted by a witch that examined their paperwork and then gave them information on both the Wizarding and Muggle areas and directed them toward an inn close to the Ministry in the Wizarding part of town. Since it was nighttime in Australia, they decided to go to the inn, get something to eat and try to adjust to the time difference.

* * *

After discussing their plans for the next day over some food at the inn's dining room, they agreed to meet at noon the next day to find Hermione's parents. Draco and Hermione were going to share a room and Carl had his own room. Draco had offered to get his own room too, but Hermione wanted him to be with her. He didn't argue as that was what he wanted also. They went to their rooms to try to relax.

Draco and Hermione entered their room where they found one king-sized bed to share. Hermione looked at the bed and then looked at Draco while biting her lip nervously. Draco noticed her discomfort and put his arm around her and guided her to a small couch on the other side of the room, opposite the bed.

"There comes a time in every relationship where an awkward discussion is needed. I'm guessing now is that time for us," Draco said with more confidence than he possessed.

Hermione folded her hands in her lap and stared at them as she began to nervously wring them together. "I'm not sure what you expect from me Draco, but I've never had sex before and I don't plan to until I'm married. I know it's an old-fashioned idea and maybe I'm crazy, but…" Hermione's rambling was interrupted by Draco when he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking at him.

"I'd never expect anything from you. You're not crazy and maybe it _is_ an old-fashioned idea, but I believe the same thing," he replied honestly. He picked up one of her hands from her lap and held it in his own.

"Really?" she asked, her face reflecting her surprise.

Draco nodded and said, "You may have heard rumors about me in the past, but there's no truth in them. Pansy liked to talk and I just never corrected anyone. My father usually just told me what to do; he has only ever made two requests of me. One request was to keep my mother safe while he's in Azkaban. No one ever sees it, except me; but my father loves my mother very much and he always has. He was obviously in too deep with Voldemort, but Mother was the only one who could bring him light. Before Voldemort returned, Father was actually tolerable, a coward, but tolerable. Mother always saw a different side of Father than even I saw. She knew that if Voldemort was truly gone, he would return to the man he was at Hogwarts, the man only _she_ still saw." Draco paused to gather his thoughts.

"You may wonder what that has to do with anything, but it's the only other example I have for you that shows my father's compassionate side. When my father makes a request, he's actually showing respect, something that he didn't give me often; and in those rare situations, his words had a profound impact on my decisions.

Father and I never had many heart-to-heart talks, but I remember one from when I was younger very well. My mother had told him he needed to have the father-son _talk_ with me. What she didn't know was the type of talk we actually had. He told me that the bond that occurs between a witch and a wizard when they're married is incredible. When they give to one another that one piece of themselves that they saved for the one they love, the marriage bond is made stronger. He said that the temptation before marriage will be great, but the reward for resisting will never be regretted. He said it will guarantee a lifetime of love together. He said it would ultimately be my choice, but he requested that I consider his words strongly and heed his advice. Our wedding night will be amazing," Draco ended quietly, his eyes now focused on their joined hands. He worried how she would react to his subtle statement. He glanced up when he heard her speak.

"_Our_ wedding night?" she asked with hope in her eyes.

"I know we just started dating, but I know without a doubt that I want to marry you someday Hermione. I'm not asking you now; however, I will when the time is right," Draco confessed as he rubbed his thumb across her ring finger.

"When the time's right, I'll say yes," Hermione whispered. He leaned in and kissed her with as much passion as he could. He let go of her hands and put them on her waist. He lifted her onto his lap so he could hold her as he kissed her. She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned as his tongue wrestled with hers. When breathing became necessary, she rested her head on his shoulder and he leaned his cheek on top of her head. She entwined her fingers with his again and closed her eyes, content with being in his arms.

"I know you probably aren't tired yet, seeing as it's only afternoon to us, but it's after midnight here. We should probably try to rest; tomorrow's gonna be a busy day," Draco said sensibly after a few minutes of holding her.

"You're right. Let's unpack and then go to bed," Hermione replied, no longer worried about sharing the bed with him. She went to the dresser and opened the beaded handbag. Using her wand she levitated Draco's things into one of the dresser drawers. Then she retrieved her clothes and some of the other items in the bag. She took her pajamas and toothbrush and went to the bathroom to change and wash up before bed.

After the bathroom door closed, Draco went over to her handbag and peeked inside to see what else she had packed. He rolled his eyes as he saw the piles of books and parchment. "At least she didn't bring the cauldron," he muttered. He closed the bag and got undressed down to his black boxers. He had just picked up his toothbrush when Hermione stepped out of the bathroom. She was wearing a pair of blue silk shorts with a matching camisole. She had never looked more alluring to him.

As Draco's eyes raked over her, Hermione took in Draco's appearance. She had felt his strong arms and chest before when he held her, but she had never seen him without his shirt. He looked like a god. Draco brushed past her on his way into the bathroom and kissed the top of her head while whispering, "Wow."

Hermione blushed as she went to put her things away. She crawled up on top of the bed and laid down on her side to wait for Draco. He came out of the bathroom, saw Hermione and whimpered quietly. 'Father wasn't kidding when he said the temptation would be great. She's gonna be so hard to resist,' he thought. He swallowed and then smiled.

He joined her on the bed and said, "Come here my beautiful woman." She smiled and moved closer to him. Draco lifted one hand to brush the hair off her face as he looked deep into her eyes. He let his hand trail down her side to rest on the small of her back. Hermione lightly placed her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating. As they stared at each other she began to trace circles on his chest. He closed his eyes briefly, enjoying her touch. He took a slow breath and opened his eyes. Hermione's fingernails lightly scraped his chest and Draco's fingers drew circles on her waist. He pulled her even closer to him and closed the distance between their lips.

After some time had passed, they decided they needed to try to get some rest. Draco curled himself behind Hermione with his arms around her, his hand resting on the sliver of skin below her camisole. They both fell asleep, content in being close to one another.

* * *

Around ten thirty in the morning, Draco awoke to find Hermione curled into his side as he lay on his back. She was using his shoulder as a pillow and had her arm draped across his chest. His arm was wrapped around her holding her close to him. He closed his eyes again breathing in her scent and enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.

He thought to himself, 'I feel like I am living a dream. A week and half ago my life was just okay. Things were on the right track, but there wasn't anything that stood out as special. Now I'm with the most amazing witch in the world. I can't imagine my life without her in it and I don't want to either. I feel like I've known her my whole life, like it really is our destinies to be together. I'm barely eighteen, but I know that she's the only one for me. She'll be the next Lady Malfoy as soon as we're both ready.' He opened his eyes and looked down at her again as he raised the arm that was not holding her and began to lightly rub the arm she had draped across his chest. As she snuggled in closer to him he tightened the hold he had on her.

Hermione kissed Draco's chest as she tilted her head upward to look at him. With a content smile she looked into his eyes and said, "Good morning Draco."

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" he asked in reply as he rubbed her back, his voice thick and deeper than usual.

"That was the best night of sleep I've ever had. I felt so safe and comfortable in your arms. How did you sleep?" she wondered.

"Absolutely wonderfully. I want to hold you in my arms every night," Draco said honestly.

"I think this might be the first time I don't want to go back to Hogwarts and it's for the simple reason that I won't be able to sleep in your arms every night," Hermione replied. She was sad at the thought of being apart from him in the future.

"Let's not worry about Hogwarts right now. We'll be able to spend every day together when we're there. Nights will be tough, but we'll figure out something later. Today's about meeting your parents again," Draco said sensibly.

Hermione got excited when she realized that he was right and then she began to get worried. Draco watched as her face changed from joy to panic.

"Hermione, take it easy. Everything's gonna be fine. Remember you're a witch and you'll be meeting your parents again with two wizards. The worst case scenario is that we forcibly transport them back to St. Mungo's where their memories will be restored and then they won't care about what we had to do to return them to their real life. But I don't think that it'll come down to that. I think that after talking to them, they'll willingly come back to London with us. Why don't you go take a shower and I'll get us something to eat before we have to meet Carl. When you're done with your shower, I'll get ready. It's gonna be okay," Draco said and then kissed the top of her head as he started to sit up in the bed.

"You're right. I'm worrying about something I have no control over right now. I'll get in the shower so we can leave soon. Thank you for being here with me," Hermione said as she too sat up and stretched a bit giving Draco a nice view of her flat stomach as her camisole raised up a bit.

"There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be, except maybe in the shower with you," he added with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Hermione laughed as she shook her head while starting to move off the bed. Draco saw her about to escape and couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back down to him. She squealed as she fell back across the pillows. Draco leaned over her and kissed her passionately before getting up off the bed himself. "Now you can get up," he said with a wink as he walked over to the dresser. Hermione laid on the bed for a few more seconds with a shocked grin her face before happily sighing and joining Draco at the dresser where she found everything she needed to get ready. Blowing him one last kiss, she walked into the bathroom.

Once she had showered and dressed, Hermione walked out of the bathroom towel drying her hair. She was wearing a white t-shirt with a fitted V-neck button up white sweater over it and black pants. She finished getting ready for the day in front of the dresser mirror while Draco took his shower. Draco had ordered some tea and scones which had been magically sent to their room. As she dried and straightened her hair with her wand, Hermione enjoyed the light breakfast snack. Draco came out the bathroom with his hair a little damp just as Hermione was finishing her second cup of tea. He was wearing khaki pants with a dark blue fitted dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up exposing his forearms. Seeing Draco she said, "You look great Draco."

Smirking a little he replied, "Well I'm meeting your parents for the first time; I need to make a good impression."

Shrugging her shoulders she said, "They don't even know that they're my parents; but you'll make a good impression on them regardless. How could you not? You're a handsome, wonderful man and they'll see that. Let's go downstairs and meet Carl and get this day underway."

Draco walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug before leading her out of the room. Walking into the lobby of the inn, they saw Carl sitting in a lounge chair reading one of his Healing books.

"Good day to both of you. Were you able to get some sleep?" Carl asked as the couple approached him.

Seeing that it was just after twelve, Draco replied, "Good afternoon. We slept amazingly well considering the time difference. Were you able to sleep?"

"I took a Sleeping Draught, so yes I slept very well. Hermione, are you ready to go find your parents?" Carl inquired.

"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm more than ready to see them again. I think taking the Muggle bus is the best way to get to their office. If we go out into Muggle Brisbane we should be able to get on the right bus in about five minutes," commented Hermione as she consulted a bus schedule she had found the night before in the lobby.

The trio walked outside and crossed into Muggle Brisbane and immediately found the bus stop they needed. After waiting for a couple of minutes the bus approached the stop and they stepped onto it. Hermione took charge of paying for everyone as Carl admitted quietly that he was a bit confused by the Muggle money. They found three open seats near one another and sat down to enjoy what was going to be a long bus ride across the city.

Draco sat by a window and took in all the sights that he could see. He practically bounced with excitement as he pointed out to Hermione a golf course covered in kangaroos. She laughed as she watched him adoringly. 'It's wonderful to see him acting so free and happy. On Sunday it'll be three months since the war ended and his real life began. An entirely new world has been opened up to him lately and I'm so lucky to get to experience it with him,' she thought with a smile. Draco pulled her from her thoughts as he showed her some koalas in the trees near the road. She couldn't resist leaning over and kissing him as she said, "You're so adorable."

Draco chuckled as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him so they could look out the window together. They saw a few places that they wanted to see closer if they had time, including the Shrine of Remembrance and the South Bank Parklands. Looking at the map she had acquired, Hermione noticed that they were approaching the stop they needed. When the bus stopped, they got off and walked a short way down the street, until they saw a building with a small sign in the window that read: 'Welcome to the Dental Offices of Dr. Wendell Wilkins L.D.S. and Dr. Monica Wilkins, L.D.S..' Instead of opening the door and walking inside, Hermione froze on the sidewalk and gave Draco a scared look.

"It'll be alright. We've come this far, you just need to take the last few steps and then you'll see your parents again. You can do this. You've come face to face with Voldemort, you've fought Bellatrix, you've destroyed Horcruxes and you've helped save the wizarding world. You can face the two Muggles who are your parents and who have modified memories," Draco said trying to encourage her.

"What if they hate me for what I've done? I mean, who modifies someone's memories so they don't even know who they really are?" she asked continuing to panic as she stared at the office.

"They won't hate you. You protected them from an almost certain death. I'm sure they would've done the same to protect you from Voldemort if it were in their power. I can see through the window that they don't have any patients right now. It's the perfect time to talk to them. I'll be by your side the whole time. Take a deep breath and open the door." Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath, grabbed onto Draco's hand, opened the door and walked inside the office.

* * *

A/N: What did you think of the chapter? Choose a letter and review please!

A) I would love to see Draco in his black boxers...oh and the chapter was good too!

B) Black boxers are great, but I wonder how he would look in green, or silver, or blue, or…

C) Who wants to see a former Death Eater scantily dressed…not me

D) (Feel free to leave your own comment)


	10. Flying Teacups, Glowing Muggles, Shrink

A/N: I'm so sorry that this update took so long. I was about to submit it a while ago, but something was bothering me about the chapter. It took some time to figure out what was wrong and then even more time to figure out how to fix it. I think I'm finally happy and thus able to share with you!

This is the last of the chapters that I had previously posted and have now revised. From here on out it is going to be completely new for those of you that have read this story before my changes.

Thank you so much to my wonderful reviewers! I love you all!

Disclaimer: Does this really matter? I obviously don't own anything in J. K. Rowling's wonderful world.

* * *

_**Chapter Ten ~ **_**_Flying Teacups, Glowing Muggles, Shrinking Boxes_**

Hermione, Draco and Carl entered the waiting room of the Wilkin's office. There were eight comfortable looking red chairs arranged along the walls. A coffee table and two end tables were covered in various magazines. A television sat in the corner; it was tuned to a station that played classical music, filling the room with soft, peaceful music.

A middle aged man with brown hair the same shade as Hermione's, heard the chime on the door and walked into the waiting room and said, "Welcome, my name is Dr. Wendell Wilkins and my wife Monica is in the other room. How can we help you today?"

Swallowing hard, Hermione said to her father with a slight waiver in her voice, "Hello Dr. Wilkins. My name is Hermione Jean Granger and this is Draco Malfoy and Carl Featherstone. We're here from England and are hoping we can talk to you and your wife for a few minutes."

Dr. Wilkins twitched slightly when he heard the name Hermione, but did not hesitate in his response. "You came at the perfect time. We're just taking our lunch break and our first afternoon appointments cancelled so we definitely have some time to talk to fellow Brits. We just moved down under a little over a year ago from York. Please follow me to our break room where we can talk comfortably." He gestured for them to follow him as he called out, "Monica, we have some visitors from England, take out three more cups for tea."

Hermione let out the breath that she didn't notice she had been holding and Draco placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a supportive squeeze as he guided her forward with Carl following them. When she saw her mother, Hermione had to blink back the tears that sprung to her eyes.

"Welcome, it's not often that we meet people from England in our little office. Oh this is so exciting. Please sit down at the table. What brings you to Australia? Oh, where are my manners, please excuse me. My name is Monica and you are?" she asked. As Hermione answered, Monica poured three cups of tea for the guests who sat where she instructed.

"I am Hermione Jean Granger and this is Draco Malfoy and Carl Featherstone. Thank you so much for agreeing to talk with us." Hermione was trying to maintain her composure but it was getting difficult.

"Hermione. Hmm, that name seems familiar. Wendell, do you recall that name?" Monica asked.

"You know, I thought the same thing when she said it the first time. Have you ever been to York, Miss Granger?" Wendell asked.

"Yes, I grew up there with my parents, Jean and Henry Granger. That's actually what I'd like to talk to you about today." Hermione studied her parents for signs of recognition to their real names. She found none.

Wendell replied, "I don't recall those names, but any news from York is always welcome. I'm afraid we haven't kept up on any news since we moved here. What would you like to talk to us about?"

"A lot of what I have to say is going to sound unbelievable, but please hear me out. It's a bit of a confusing story and I know we just met, but I'd like you to hear it," Hermione pleaded with them.

The Wilkins exchanged a glance and then nodded for her to continue. She took a deep breath and began telling her story.

"There's a world of witchcraft and wizardry and most people don't know that it exists." At this opening statement, the older couple's eyes widened, but they said nothing. Hermione continued, "For many years, there was a horrible wizard, called Lord Voldemort, who waged a war to bring about darkness and tried to force his ideals on other witches and wizards. He wanted a world full of pure-blooded witches and wizards and those who opposed him were killed. He killed non-magical people, called Muggles, and those witches and wizards who were born of Muggles."

Her parents looked at her as if she was a bit touched in the head, yet they still said nothing. Hermione did not let their looks deter her from the story. "Some pure-blooded wizards were forced to serve Lord Voldemort whether or not they agreed with his goals. There was a group of witches and wizards, both pure-blooded and Muggle-born who fought to save the Wizarding world and all mankind from Lord Voldemort. In the last few years, Lord Voldemort became extremely powerful and was close to taking over the Wizarding world, which would have led to him taking over the Muggle world eventually. Many Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards went into hiding for fear of being killed. A few months ago, Lord Voldemort was defeated and the Wizarding world and the Muggle world are once again safe." Hermione paused to let the Wilkins digest what they had just heard.

They were quiet as they thought about what she had said. "For argument's sake, let's say we believe you so far. What you've just said does seem farfetched, but I've never been one to think that I know everything there is to know about the world. Why have you come here today to tell us this?" Wendell asked.

"What I've said so far directly affects you both. Draco and Carl are both pure-blooded wizards and they did not need to hide from Lord Voldemort. I, however, am a Muggle-born witch and was a key member of the group who destroyed Lord Voldemort. I forced my parents, Henry and Jean Granger, into hiding. I couldn't hide with them as I was part of a pivotal mission which led to his ultimate destruction. I knew my parents would be targets for Lord Voldemort to gain control over me. I didn't want any harm to come to them, so I sent them to Australia." She needed a few more seconds before she revealed to them the whole truth.

Monica was the first to say something this time. "I'm not exactly sure how you think we can help you. We've never met Henry and Jean Granger. How does this all directly affect us?"

Hermione reached into her handbag and pulled out a series of family pictures. The pictures showed the Granger family through the years as Hermione had grown from a toddler, to her first day leaving for Hogwarts and then a picture taken just days before she modified their memories. She held the pictures to her chest so they could not be seen and said, "I have here some pictures of me with my parents. I modified my parents' memories to protect them and they no longer know me or know of me. That's why Carl is with me. He's a Healer, which is a bit like a doctor. After doing a few assessments, he'll be able to tell me what will need to be done to restore their memories. I really hope my parents won't be mad at me. Please forgive me." Hermione turned the pictures around and placed them on the table in front of Wendell and Monica. They both looked at Hermione before looking at the pictures.

Hermione held tightly to Draco's hand while she watched her parents' faces become more and more confused. She bit her lip as her brow crinkled and she tried not to cry. Draco removed his hand from hers and gave her his other hand as he placed his arm around her shoulders. Hermione's mother looked up from the pictures at her and tilted her head to the side as she tried to make sense out of what she was seeing. She shook her head and blinked a few times before saying, "You mean that we're your parents and that we're Henry and Jean Granger? Is this some really elaborate prank? How can we even believe that there are such things as witches and wizards, let alone that you're our daughter we don't remember having?"

Draco whispered in Hermione's ear, "Just take it one step at a time. Prove that you're a witch and then maybe they'll believe you enough for Carl to assess them. If not, he can do it without their permission. Remember, you did the charm so well that they're not supposed to recall who you are. The name Hermione at least sounds familiar to them. It'll be okay." Draco kissed her temple as she nodded.

She took out her wand and transformed the full teacup on the table in front of her mother into a snail. The snail started to slowly move across the table. She watched as her parent's eyes widened. She turned the teacup back to normal and her mother hesitantly picked it up to look at it and noticed that there still was tea in it. She then summoned a magazine from the other room. It landed right in front of her father. He slowly reached out his hand and picked it up, turning it over to see if there was a string or anything on it. Her mother dropped the cup of tea that she was holding in her hand and it broke. Hermione repaired the cup and then cleaned up the mess the spilled tea had made.

Everyone sat quietly as Hermione's parents thought about what they had just heard and seen. "I guess you really are a witch. But I'm sorry Hermione, if we _are_ your parents, we don't remember you at all. All we know is that we're Wendell and Monica Wilkins. We don't know anything about Henry and Jean Granger," her father said relatively calmly.

Hermione nodded and replied, "That was my intention. It was for your protection as well as mine. If you'll allow him to, Carl will assess you and maybe determine if the memory modification can be reversed right now. I'm hoping that you'll come back to England with us."

"Look at her Wendell. She has your ears and hair color and my eyes and curls. She does look like she could be our daughter and I feel like I know her," Monica said as she looked closely at Hermione. Wendell nodded as he noticed the same things.

Wendell continued, "I'm still not sure I believe all of this; but I'm a bit afraid of what you can do with that little stick. So Carl, do what you need to do to assess us and then I think we may need some time to think about all of this."

Carl pulled out his wand, muttered a few words and Hermione's parents briefly glowed purple before returning to their normal color. "Hmm, let me try another one," Carl said. He said another spell and they glowed blue and then faded to purple again before returning to normal. Hermione gave Carl a confused glance and he tried another spell. With the third spell, her parents glowed red. Carl looked at Hermione and said, "You cast an extremely strong Memory Modification Charm on them, but I'm detecting other spells as well. Did you do anything else that you can remember?"

"No, I only modified their memories. I made sure not to Obliviate their memories and only modified them with a false memory charm. I've never cast any other charms or spells on them in the past. I suppose I may have done something accidentally before I knew I was a witch, but never since then. Is everything reversible?" she asked worried.

"I'm not able to do it alone. We'll need to bring them to St. Mungo's and until we know all of the spells on them we won't be able to reverse any of them. It's not possible for me to reverse just the Memory Modification Charm you cast, so we'll need to try to determine what else is going on first or it's possible nothing can be fixed. I don't detect anything bad, just that there's more here than we know. The purple color does not often appear and it signifies multiple strong spells or charms; it wasn't exactly what I was expecting since you said you only used one charm. Tell me, did you cast separate charms on them, or was it one charm that hit both?"

Hermione bit her lip and replied, "It was two separate charms. I didn't want to take the chance that it would split unevenly or miss completely."

"Hmmm," Carl muttered. "Well it's possible that they were both hit by both charms and that would explain away the purple. The second spell I used brought out the blue before the purple. The blue signifies that a long-term memory charm has been put into place, which we know you did. But the fact that it was followed by the purple makes me hesitant to try to lift it until I know for sure that it was in fact the same charm used twice. Then there's the red. We need to do a lot more tests to determine what the red means. I've never seen it before and I recommend trying to transport them back to St. Mungo's on Friday morning London time so our memory specialist, Healer Remembrall, the man for whom the Remembrall Ball is named, can try to determine the spells and charms at work here. Will that work for you?" Carl addressed the last question directly to Hermione's parents.

Hermione's parents both looked skeptical. "I think we'll need the night to discuss all of this and to determine how we feel about everything. I'm not sure I completely understand everything about that Lord Voldemort and your reasons for supposedly hiding your parents, er I mean, us. Why don't you come to our house in the morning and we'll let you know our answer then?" Monica asked.

Hermione swallowed hard and answered, "We'll be happy to come to your house. I have a book for each of you to read which will help you better to understand the war and why I felt the need to hide you. Please read it and we'll answer any questions you have in the morning."

She placed her beaded handbag on the table and reached deep inside of it, her arm and head disappearing for a few seconds as she searched for the two accounts of Voldemort's downfall that she had placed inside that morning. Her parents watched in shock, actually taking a moment to each look under the table to see if somehow she was reaching through the solid table. She finally found the books and pulled them out and set them in front of her mother. Monica picked up the hardcover books and turned them over in her hands and tried to bend them. Then she looked at the handbag on the table and back to the books, wondering how they managed to fit inside the bag. She carefully set the books back on the table and closed her eyes.

"We've taken up enough of your time today. Thank you for listening and allowing us to meet with you. We'll see you in the morning; just let us know where we need to be and we'll be there," Hermione said with a small smile for her parents.

After they got the address of the Wilkins' home, they left the office. Draco convinced Hermione to see some of the sights of Brisbane, while Carl had some research he wanted to do. They parted ways as the bus to take Carl back to the Wizarding section of Brisbane arrived. When they got on their own bus that would take them to the South Bank Parklands, Hermione collapsed against Draco. A trip to the beach was just what they needed on the beautiful late July day to relieve some of the stress that had built up in Hermione.

* * *

Thursday morning was cloudy and rain was threatening to appear. Hermione had awoken at five and had quietly gotten out of bed so as not to disturb Draco. She was sitting on the couch reading the books she had brought on Healing. She knew that she probably wouldn't find anything in the books that Carl could not or had not been able to tell her but it made her feel more productive. As she read, she found herself often being distracted by Draco's sleeping form. The way his chest raised and lowered with each slow, deep breath he took, the way the sheet sat low on his hips, the way his hair was tousled by sleep and the way he looked completely content and happy with a small smile playing at his lips while he slept, mesmerized Hermione and made her want to watch him forever.

An hour later, Hermione had spent almost as much time watching Draco sleep as she had reading her Healing books. She closed her book and leaned back against the couch and looked toward the bed again. This time, she saw two gorgeous grey eyes staring back at her. "Good morning. I didn't wake you did I?"

"Good morning. No, you didn't wake me. What're you reading?" Draco asked as he got out of bed and walked over to her.

Hermione held up the book on Healing as Draco sat next to her. He took the book from her and looked at it. "You do realize that you probably aren't going to find anything in here that Carl doesn't know, right?"

Looking a bit defeated she said, "I know; but I can't help trying to figure out what is going on with my parents. It also wouldn't be the first time that I discovered something that everyone else overlooked."

Raising one eyebrow he asked, "And have you found something?"

Sighing she replied, "No. Everything I've read has been exactly what he said yesterday or with even less details. I feel like since I did this to them that I should be able to undo it. I'm also hoping that I didn't mess something up so badly that they can't have their memories fixed. I thought I only cast one charm on each of them; but did you see all of those colors? Obviously I did something else or did it wrong." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

Draco pulled her into his arms and held her head against his chest as he rubbed her back. She closed her eyes while he said, "Don't cry Hermione. We don't know what's going on with them; but you saw them and talked to them yesterday. They're fine. They knew exactly the backstory that you meant them to know which must mean that you did the charm correctly. I don't know why the colors showed up for Carl; but that's what the trip to St. Mungo's will answer. Today we'll convince them to come back with us and tomorrow we'll get them to St. Mungo's."

Opening her eyes and looking into his, she asked, "When did you get so wise? You know exactly the right things to say to make me feel better."

Giving Hermione his famous smirk he replied, "I've always been wise. You didn't realize it before now? I'm shocked! Miss Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of our time doesn't know when she's in the company of her equal? Tsk tsk, what am I going to do with you?" His eyes twinkled with mischief while he retained his smirk.

Hermione began to squirm and tried to get out of his arms. Draco tightened his arms around her waist and said, "Oh no, no, no Miss Granger. Don't think you're going to wiggle your way out of this one. I've not been properly greeted by you this morning."

"Well, I can't allow that, can I? I must remedy my transgression then," she said with a wink as she stopped squirming. She put her arms around his neck and brought their lips together. Once the kiss finished, Draco's smirk returned and he said, "Now that was a proper greeting." With a small kiss on the tip of her nose he said, "Come on, we have to leave for your parent's house within the hour. You can get ready first. I'll look through these books and see if there's anything I can find."

Hermione got ready while Draco read and then she continued reading while he got ready. They met Carl in the lobby and then they traveled the address they had been given.

* * *

They arrived at a small two-story blue house with a white picket fence around the yard. They walked up a cobblestone path to the front door where Hermione knocked. Wendell answered the door and said, "Good morning Hermione, Carl. Please come in and sit down for a few minutes." Hermione and Carl walked into the house and when Draco went to follow, he was stopped by Wendell stepping into the doorway.

"You're Draco Malfoy, correct?" he asked with a glare.

Draco nodded, worry crossing his face. Wendell grabbed Draco's left arm and pushed the sleeve of Draco's long-sleeved black shirt up and looked at his forearm. Wendell dropped Draco's arm in disgust.

"We read the books last night; how dare you come anywhere near my daughter after what you and your family did? You're a Death Eater and she was tortured in your house; why are you not in Azkaban? I may not remember being her father, but right now I feel an overwhelming need to protect Hermione. What kind of magic spell or trick did you use on her to be allowed anywhere near her?" Wendell questioned angrily, his eyes narrowed menacingly.

Draco's slightly tanned skin lost all of its glow as he grew pale. He was terrified of the man standing in front of him. Wendell seemed to fill the entire doorway. Draco shook and could only stammer, "Nnnn, nnnn, none sir."

Hermione put her hand on Wendell's shoulder and said, "Please stop, what you read in the book is only part of a very long story; but the extremely short version is, he didn't torture me, he was forced to support Lord Voldemort and he only did it to protect his mother. He's truly a good man and we're dating; he's here to support me." She peeked around Wendell and directed a soft smile toward Draco.

Wendell looked back and forth between Hermione and Draco a few times. Hermione's eyes were pleading with him to believe her and Draco's were focused on Hermione. His face was full of admiration for her. A sigh from Wendell brought Draco's attention back to him. Draco's eyes were once again full of worry as he looked at the man in front of him.

"Fine, Draco you may come in also. I'd like to hear the long story sometime; but if my daughter trusts you, than I'll follow her lead," Wendell conceded.

Draco entered the house and stayed as close as he could to Hermione as the group moved into the living room. As they sat down, Hermione asked with confusion, "Daughter? You've used that word twice now. Do you really believe me? Yesterday you were so hesitant and I don't blame you. It was probably quite a shock to get all of that information at once. What convinced you?"

"After we read the books last night, Monica and I looked at some things in the house that we never understood before yesterday. We both have very vague recollections of our lives as Monica and Wendell Wilkins before moving here. It's almost as if we have amnesia and there are some things in our house we always were curious about; but we just assumed that when we bought them we had our reasons. We were both content to ignore them; but now we know that they must have been in the house because of you. We have a box full of things we didn't understand in the last year. Every time we found something new we put it in the box." Wendell shook his head while remembering all the times they thought they were a bit crazy when they found an unfamiliar object in the house.

Monica had watched the confrontation with Draco from the kitchen and chose to trust Hermione's judgment of him. She entered the living room carrying the box that Wendell had been describing and said, "Here are all the things we just couldn't explain, but which helped us to believe you. Good morning everyone. Hermione, dear, can you tell us what some of these things are?"

Hermione happily said, "Of course. What would you like to know about first?"

Monica pulled a mass of black cloth from the box and asked, "We first assumed these were costumes, but now I'm guessing they're your school robes?" Hermione nodded and Monica continued, "These were all books that confused us when we saw them so we put them in the box. We had figured they were works of fiction, but we couldn't remember buying them." On the coffee table she placed some books about Quidditch, Diagon Alley and even some books by Gilderoy Lockhart that Hermione had forgotten she owned after realizing how much of a phony Lockhart had been.

Hermione picked up the book on Diagon Alley and said, "Oh, I was looking for this book. It would've been helpful when we broke into Gringott's. I thought I'd left it at the Weasley's house."

Draco looked at the books and picked one up and asked Hermione, "Why do you have this book? I mean, I understand why it was in _my_ house; but why do _you_ have it?"

Hermione took 'The Rise of the Dark Arts' from Draco and looked at it. "I read everything to do with the Dark Arts before our mission. I don't remember buying this book though. I mean I've read it, but it's a bit outdated since the release of 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts'. I just have too many books to keep track of them all," Hermione said with a slight laugh as she put the book back on the pile. She looked back to Monica and said, "What other things did you find?"

"Well, this appears to be money, but none of the banks knew what it was so we just put it in the box." Wendell handed Hermione a large money bag full of coins. Hermione opened the bag and her eyes grew wide. She said, "You're right, this is money. It is full of Galleons. There must be close to five thousand Galleons in this bag. I never realized you changed so much of your money into Galleons. This is about twenty-five thousand pounds. We can change this back to pounds once we get to London if you want. Is there anything else?"

"Well, we know that these are pictures, obviously, but we didn't know anyone in the pictures so we put them in the box. Maybe you can identify them," Monica inquired.

"This is a picture of Hogwarts, one of Professor Dumbledore, and this is Professor McGonagall. My housemate Colin Creevey used to give me a lot of pictures that he took and I would include them in my letters home. He gave me so many pictures that I hardly looked at them before sending them. I don't remember all of these. Look Draco; you're in the background of this one of the Great Hall and I think that's Harry and Ginny on the other side. This must have been taken in third year," Hermione said as she pointed to one of the pictures.

"Yeah, you're right. Wow, I never realized how much I look like my dad did when he was younger. That's a little creepy. Hey, this looks like part of the Slytherin common room. How would Creevey have gotten a picture of that?" Draco asked as he looked at the picture closer.

"He was trying to get pictures of every part of Hogwarts that he could. I think I sent this one to Mum and Dad to try to describe Slytherin one time. Colin used to ask people from other houses to take pictures for him to capture the rooms he wasn't able to enter. I guess he must have convinced someone in Slytherin to take it for him. " Hermione replied.

Draco raised one eyebrow and gave her a look that said, 'That's not likely to have happened.' Hermione shrugged her shoulders since she didn't have a better explanation as to the picture.

Hermione levitated the objects back into the box and asked, "Have you decided if you'll come with us to London tomorrow?"

"We've decided that we'll go back with you. We must have lives there that we abandoned by moving here," Monica said simply.

"Moving by tomorrow really doesn't give us enough time to get all of our stuff packed and our patients transferred to other dentists. Will we all be able to get last minute airfare back to London? I suppose we'll return at a later date to move our things back to England. Unless you have a better suggestion," her father said.

Draco nodded his head and replied, "Sir? We'll pack up your house, using magic, today so everything can be brought back to England while you work and get your patients transferred. We'll be traveling by magic so we don't need airfare. You won't have to worry about a thing."

"Well I'm not sure we have nothing to worry about, but we'll trust you for now," Hermione's mother said.

Wendell stood up and said, "We need to get going to the office. We'll work late tonight to see today's patients and to notify our other patients about our move. There are a few dentists that will most likely be able to take our patients. Are you sure you want to try to pack our house today? We can always put things in storage and come get them another time. Luckily we're just renting the house and don't have to worry about selling it. We called the landlord this morning and she wasn't even upset about the short notice we gave of leaving."

Hermione interrupted his rambling, "We'll have everything packed and will return tomorrow to get the things packed that you'll need for tonight and tomorrow morning before we leave. We don't have to leave until the afternoon so we'll have time to finalize any last details. You really don't have to worry about anything."

"The office number is on the counter; please call if you have any questions. There's food in the refrigerator; please help yourselves," Monica said.

Hermione smiled at her mother. Even with a different name and no memories of having a daughter, her mother was still a mother-hen. "Thank you. We'll probably be gone before you get home tonight so we'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your day at work."

Once her parents had left, Hermione conjured some boxes and said to Carl and Draco, "What we'll do is put everything in these boxes and then I'll put all the boxes in a bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm and then we'll be able to transport everything with us tomorrow. Draco, you can start in the living room and make sure to put an Unbreakable Charm around anything that could break. Carl, you can pack their study and the kitchen. I'll start in the master bedroom and then move to the other bedrooms; if either of you get done before me, please come help upstairs. I also will set aside things that they'll need for tomorrow. Any furniture can be shrunk and then put into a box. I think that covers the inside of the house. Since there could be Muggles around, we'll have to bring everything that's outside into the garage the Muggle-way before we pack it, but we'll do that after the house is packed. Let's get to work."

Over next few hours, Hermione, Draco and Carl were able to pack everything that was inside the house. All of the boxes were shrunk so they would be easier to fit inside the backpack that Hermione had found in a closet. Even with the Undetectable Extension Charm on the backpack, Hermione felt that because there were so many boxes it would just make packing and unpacking less complicated and keep things more organized. She also placed a Featherweight Charm on the boxes so they could be picked up easily if needed.

Hermione and Draco went into the detached garage to pack, while Carl carried yard ornaments to them. Everything fit into a handful of boxes that they placed inside the backpack. It had only taken about six hours to pack everything except for the bed, some clothing, bathroom supplies and some food. Hermione figured the final items would only take a few minutes to pack before they had to leave the next day.

Hermione wrote a note to her parents, saying that they would return at one the next afternoon to finish packing and then to leave, before they locked the house and left to enjoy the rest of the day in Brisbane.

* * *

A/N: Since this was the last chapter left to revise, I am wondering if I have any original readers left and if so, have you noticed the changes in the story and have you enjoyed them?

Please take a moment to leave a review…really it will only take a few seconds and it will make me sooooo happy! Simply type one of the following letters in the review box and submit…no other words are necessary, but are definitely appreciated!

A) I would never leave Draco alone in bed to read a book on Healing.

B) I kind of wish Wendell would have punched Draco; it might have been entertaining.

C) Wendell and Monica are idiots for believing Hermione.

D) (Please feel free to leave your own comments)

Thank you all so much for the reviews!


	11. The Imperious Curse?

A/N: Wow, so almost a year has passed since I last posted. I am so sorry to anyone that was waiting on this update. Real life happened and I can't promise that updates will come quickly, but I will try harder next time. I hope that I still have some readers left or have gained a lot of new readers! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story.

* * *

**_Chapter Eleven ~ The Imperious Curse?_  
**

The rain that had been threatening to fall that morning had in fact produced a thunderstorm while they were working; but it eventually passed and the skies had cleared. Draco wanted to visit the Shrine of Remembrance and Carl wanted to explore the Wizarding part of town. He was not accustomed to spending a lot of time in the Muggle world, so rather than take the chance that he would do something wrong, he decided to Apparate directly there. Draco found the Muggle bus an adventure in itself, even if it did take way too long, in his opinion, to travel places.

Hermione and Draco walked around the Shrine reflecting on the war they had just been through and the lives that were lost. Hermione looked at Draco who seemed to be deep in thought and asked, "Do you ever miss Bellatrix?"

Draco considered her question carefully before answering, "I guess there's a very, very small part of me that does sometimes. She really was a horrible woman, but she was still my aunt. Mother doesn't have many people left in her life anymore because of the Wars and the fact that our family defected. My mother misses her, as a sister would miss another, and because of that I miss her. Does that make sense?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It makes some sense. I never had any relatives, so I don't really understand that kind of familial love personally; but I can understand your side of it."

"Who do you miss the most?" Draco was curious as they had not discussed the War that much once they worked past their differences.

"There are so many people that died senselessly like Cedric; but I think that I miss Professor Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, and Sirius, especially because of what they meant to Harry and I miss Fred Weasley because of how hurt the Weasley family is by his loss. There are so many other people that I miss, but I think those are the ones that hit me the hardest," Hermione said as she looked at the Shrine's Eternal Flame feature.

Draco watched the flame flicker and wave in the gentle wind. It was mesmerizing. "Who do you miss the most?" Hermione asked him, her question breaking his concentration.

Without pausing to think it through, Draco answered, "Professor Snape. He was my godfather and I didn't get to know him at all. I always thought I knew him; I thought he was just like my father and when I was younger, I idolized him for that. Over time I started to hate him because I thought he was just like my father. The Slytherin in me always loved the favoritism he showed our House and especially me. He taught me a lot about potions before I went to Hogwarts. In the summers, he would let me help him prep ingredients for different potions that he was making. You really irritated him, you know? He used to complain about you during summer break."

"He did?" Hermione asked with both curiosity and amusement.

Draco laughed and said, "Definitely. You annoyed him to no end. He hated that you always knew the answers to his most difficult questions. He could never trick you into answering incorrectly, or even simply not answering at all. He once said that it was too bad you weren't in Slytherin because we could've really used all the points that you so annoyingly earned."

"Annoyingly earned?" Hermione questioned with a smirk.

"Hey, his words, not mine. I think you'd have done well in Slytherin. You definitely have that whole cunning, ambitious side to you. And you have the smirk down pat. I don't think I'd ever seen you smirk until we went to that café last week," Draco said with his own smirk.

She raised an eyebrow and said, "It must be because I'm in your presence. You're rubbing off on me Draco."

Draco pressed Hermione's back to one of the pillars surrounding the flame and stepped as close as he could to her, making sure that his body touched hers as much as possible. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Draco slowly moved himself slightly up and down against her body. When his knees were bent, he dragged his nose along her neck and inhaled her scent. "Do you like it when I rub on you?" Draco asked quietly, his voice husky and his eyes full of lust. Hermione shuddered as his breath tickled her ear, though his words had just as much of an effect on her. Her eyes slipped closed.

As quickly as he had pressed himself against her, he moved away and watched the reactions his leaving caused. Her chest was heaving and her eyes slowly opened. The intense look in her eyes matched Draco's and they spent a few minutes watching each other until an elderly couple walked through the space between them and broke their concentration. Hermione shook her head and blushed before moving toward the last part of the Shrine that she wanted to see.

Draco continued to watch Hermione while she read a plaque on one of the pillars. It was their last night in Australia and he wanted to enjoy it with her. She felt him staring at her and turned to look at him and he said, "I want to take you out tonight, somewhere special. Let's go back to the inn and get cleaned up a bit."

"Oh Draco, you don't have to take me out anywhere. I made you do so much work today, we can just relax tonight," Hermione replied even though the idea of going out sounded really nice.

"I know I don't _have_ to take you anywhere. I want to and I'm going to take you out tonight. I know exactly where we're going to go and we have to be there in two hours. Come on, that Muggle bus should be coming to the bus stop soon." He had made some arrangements the night before when Hermione was reading.

Hermione took the hand Draco offered to her and together they walked to the bus stop where the bus soon arrived. When they got back to Wizarding Brisbane and the inn, Draco said to Hermione, "You go up to the room and start getting ready, I have something I need to do first." He gave her a kiss and sent her to their room while receiving a suspicious look from her. Smirking, he walked off in the direction of a shop he had been to last night.

Hermione went to the room, thinking, 'He's up to something. Oh no, what am I going to wear? I really didn't pack anything nice enough to wear to someplace special. I guess I'll just take a shower and try to figure it out after I'm done. Maybe I can transfigure something out of what I do have.'

Draco sneaked back into the room and heard the shower running. Knowing he only had a few minutes, he wrote a note, placed a box on the bed, grabbed a few things and left the room again.

After drying and curling her hair and applying some makeup, Hermione left the bathroom wrapped in a towel to try to figure out what she was going to wear. As she searched through the drawers she noticed out of the corner of her eye, a box on the bed, with a red rose and a note on top of it. She picked up both the rose and the note and read:

'_My Hermione, _

_I thought you might need something special to wear tonight. I will meet you in the lobby at half past seven. _

_Draco'_

Breathing in the scent of the rose and smiling at how romantic Draco was, she opened the box and gasped. Inside was a silk, emerald green evening gown. It had a deep v-neckline and beaded straps which crossed in the back. The gown was fitted through the waist and the skirt flowed lightly to the ground. Draco had included silver high heels which lifted the dress the perfect distance from the ground. The dress and shoes adjusted magically to fit her perfectly as soon as they were on her. She found a simple silver necklace, bracelet and earrings inside the box as well. Looking in the mirror she hardly recognized herself. She had less than five minutes before she was to meet him downstairs. She picked up the shawl that had come with the dress and transfigured her handbag to match the dress. After she checked her appearance one more time, she left the room.

Draco had gotten ready for the night in Carl's room. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit with an emerald green shirt to match Hermione's dress. He was leaning against the wall across from the staircase. As she appeared his eyes darkened with lust. She looked better than he ever imagined she would when he picked out the dress.

Draco approached her and took her hand as she descended the last step. "You look stunning," he said as he let go of her hand so he could place one hand on her waist and the other behind her neck as he crashed his lips into hers. Hermione raised one of her hands and lightly traced his cheek and jawline before the kiss ended. Separating only far enough that she could look into his eyes, she replied, "And you are incredibly handsome and wonderful. You shouldn't have spoiled me so much. This had to have cost a lot; I mean the gown, the shoes, the jewelry, they're all so beautiful." He smiled at her and said, "Hermione, I'm one of the richest wizards in the world and you'll just have to get used to me spending money on you, because I'm not going to stop." Giving him a small kiss she replied, "Thank you, though I may never get used to it."

Neither noticed the flashes from a camera when they had embraced each other. Nor did they notice the flashes as Draco took her hand again and placed it through his bent arm and led them out of the inn. A brunette woman, who bore a striking resemblance to another reporter, followed the couple as they walked down the streets of Wizarding Brisbane occasionally taking their picture; the whole time a Quick-Quotes Quill was flying across a pad of paper that floated alongside the woman. The Second Wizarding War was known throughout the whole Wizarding world and though Hermione didn't like to acknowledge it, she was famous for the part she had played. Draco was also a very recognizable wizard, not only because of the Malfoy family name, but also for the fact that he and his father had both been Death Eaters.

They arrived at an exclusive, romantic restaurant in the center of Wizarding Brisbane called _Amortentia_. Upon giving the name Malfoy at the desk, the host led Draco and Hermione to an elevator where they ascended seventy stories to the top of a Wizarding skyscraper. To the Muggles it was invisible, and airplanes were diverted around it unknowingly. The entire restaurant was made of glass windows and it slowly rotated in order to give the most spectacular views of the entire city and the Brisbane River. Hermione was even able to put aside her fear of heights and enjoy everything about the restaurant.

Sparkling butterflies were charmed to fly around the room without bothering the guests. One near their table seemed to twinkle more brightly than the others. The sky was beginning to darken as they arrived and the sun set as they enjoyed their dinner. The city lit up as the night grew darker and Hermione did not think she had ever seen anything as beautiful.

As they enjoyed the restaurant and each other's company, they received a few curious stares. Hermione and Draco were both oblivious to them as they were entirely wrapped up in their own little world. A brave witch and wizard approached their table as they were standing up to leave.

"You're Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, correct?" the witch asked.

Draco gave the witch an appraising look before answering simply and a bit coldly, "Yes, we are."

"Why are _you_ here with her?" she asked in a disgusted tone directed at Draco.

"Are you alright Miss Granger? Has he hurt you? You don't need to be afraid of him anymore. We can help you; we can get you to a Healer and call some Aurors. Maybe we'll even get a reward for saving you," the wizard whispered to Hermione as he tried to grab her wrist to get her away from Draco.

Draco's eyes narrowed, he pulled out his wand and stepped in between Hermione and the wizard. "Back away from her. How dare you try to touch her? You obviously know who I am and what I'm capable of doing. And since you also know who she is, you should know that she can take care of herself," he said, his voice dripping with malice. The witch had pulled out her wand, but the wizard stood shocked, staring at the tip of Draco's wand.

Draco began to calm a bit when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked down and saw two beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. "Draco, let me handle this," Hermione said. Draco lowered his wand, but did not put it away as he stepped back from the other wizard slightly.

"Thank you for apparently looking out for my well-being. I don't need to see a Healer, nor do you need to call any Aurors. As for why Draco is here with me, that's our business; but I can assure you that I want him to be with me. Please don't point your wand at my boyfriend anymore," Hermione said to the witch.

"Yeah right he's your boyfriend. How do you expect us to believe that he didn't capture you and bring you here? This is almost as far from England as he could possibly go to hide you. You could be under the Imperious Curse or something," the witch said while lowering her wand slightly as Draco sneered at her.

"Oh for goodness sake, you want proof, here's your proof," Hermione said as she pulled some papers from her handbag.

The witch took the papers from her and read them. "It appears you're both here with permission from both the British Minister of Magic and the Australian Minister of Magic. It just seems so impossible that you're with him by choice. I mean you helped kill Voldemort and he was a Death Eater!" she exclaimed.

"As impossible as it may seem, it's true. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to go so we can continue what _was_ a wonderful night before your interruption. Draco, are you ready?" Hermione asked as she took the papers back from the other witch.

Putting his arm around her shoulder he replied, "Of course." Hermione did not see the look of disgust he gave the witch and wizard as he guided her to the elevator to leave. Once inside the elevator, Draco relaxed a bit more. When they got outside they walked to a quiet park near the restaurant and sat on a bench.

"People aren't going to accept this easily, are they?" Draco asked somewhat sadly.

Hermione shook her head and said, "No, they're not."

Draco sighed and asked, "I guess I understood it with the Weasleys because we've never gotten along, but I didn't think about other people. What are we gonna do about it?"

"We're going to live our lives for us. It only matters what we think about us; to hell with everyone else. I'm not giving up on us, Draco," she said firmly.

"I'm not giving up on us either, Hermione. I'll fight for us every time." He looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I love you."

"I love you too. You're my future," she said passion burning in her eyes.

Draco captured her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his hands on her waist. They were pulled out of the kiss by a bright flash. They both looked around but didn't see anything. Being a bit suspicious after their post-dinner encounter, Draco decided it was time they called it a night and headed back to the inn.

Though their evening had been rudely interrupted, it was still one of the best nights of Hermione's life. Both Draco and Hermione knew that their relationship was developing fast, and to outsiders it appeared inconceivable; but they both felt like everything was exactly how it was meant to be.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly through the windows when Draco awoke. It took several attempts by Draco to get Hermione to wake. He kissed her shoulder and then nuzzled her neck. She squirmed a little. He kissed along her jaw and nibbled a bit on her earlobe. She sighed lightly in her sleep and he whispered, "I love you." Hermione's eyes fluttered open and a small smile appeared on her lips. She looked into his grey eyes for a few seconds before replying, "I love you too." They spent the next half of an hour wrapped in each other until Draco finally looked at the clock.

"As much as I'd like to spend the day with you in bed, we need to be at your parent's house in a little over an hour. We still need to pack and go to the Ministry to drop off the paperwork Minister Shacklebolt gave us regarding the return Portkey. Are you sure we can't just send it by owl?" he asked.

She shook her head and replied, "Since we'll be activating the international Portkey at my parent's house rather than in the Portkey Office, they want to see us in person. It is their way of checking us out of the country. I agree that it's ridiculous, but at least we can Apparate directly to my parent's house from the Ministry. I guess we should get ready."

Once they were ready and Hermione had packed everything back in her beaded handbag, they met Carl in the lobby and went to the Ministry. After turning in the paperwork that Kingsley had sent with them, they were walking to the designated Apparition spot to go to Hermione's parent's house when a small wizard came running toward them yelling. "Miss Granger, Miss Granger, wait a minute please."

"Can I help you?" Hermione asked as she grabbed Draco's hand and reached for her wand with the other. For some reason she was a bit afraid of the man. She noticed that his face was scarred and he was glaring at Draco.

He quickly waved his wand and non-verbally started casting different spells. One spell hit her and she felt as if she had been shocked before she was able to cast a shield charm over herself, Draco, and Carl. By this time Draco and Carl also had their wands pointed at the small wizard. Draco disarmed the man and walked toward him without lowering his own wand, glaring at the man.

"What the hell do you think you're doing and what did you do to her?" Draco asked, looking and sounding every bit a Death Eater.

"Please don't kill me," the man whimpered.

"Tell me what you were doing to her and maybe I won't," Draco seethed.

"Miss Granger, please come with me and we can help you get away from him. We got a tip last night that you might be in danger," the scarred wizard said nervously, never taking his eyes off the end of Draco's wand.

"Parsons, what have you done?" asked a tall and imposing looking wizard. Without waiting for an answer, he turned toward the others and said, "I'm so sorry about whatever Parsons did, he's a rather new Auror and is eager to prove himself, though he needs to think before he points his wand at Ministry guests. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Minister of Magic here in Australia, my name is Wilson Brighton. This here is Bartholomew Parsons and I assure you that he will be reprimanded for his rash actions."

Draco lowered his wand as Minister Brighton spoke. His glare softened and he addressed the Minister, "Thank you Minister Brighton. We've completed our business here in Brisbane and have just turned in our paperwork so we can return to London. I'm not sure what happened, but this is the second confrontation we've had since last night."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, a shout from across the room commanded their attention, "Expelliarmus! Watch out Minister, he's a Death Eater and has Miss Granger under the Imperious Curse!" Draco's wand flew from his hand toward a tall redheaded witch that was running toward them.

"Make that _three_ confrontations," Draco mumbled.

"Miss Granger, Minister, don't worry I'll take care of Death Eater Malfoy," the witch gasped as she tried to catch her breath. The Minister had grabbed Draco's flying wand and handed it back to him immediately.

Minister Brighton's face was red with embarrassment and anger, "Auror Valoy, what are you doing? I am so sorry Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. I don't know what is happening here, but I intend to get to the bottom of it. Please do not take this as a reflection of our wonderful country. I assure you that this is not how we treat our guests. Now, answer me right now Auror Valoy, your badge is on the line. Why did you disarm our guest and make unfounded accusations against him?"

"Here," the witch said as she pulled a newspaper from the bag she was carrying and slowly handed it to the minister. He blanched and duplicated the newspaper, handing a copy to Draco.

Hermione and Draco looked at the front page of _The Daily Diviner_. There was a picture of them from when they admitted their love to one another and then embraced in the park, which played over and over again above a lengthy article that encompassed the rest of the front page. Their eyes narrowed as they read the article.

"_**Is the British War Heroine Under a Death Eater's Imperious Curse?" by Randi Skeeter**_

_As the Wizarding world approaches the three month anniversary of the defeat of the Darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, or more commonly referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, it appears that we may soon be plagued by more Dark problems. (For a summary of Lord Voldemort and his rise to power and ultimate defeat, see pages three through seven.) The British Ministry of Magic has become lax in its interrogation and imprisonment of known Death Eaters. (For a full account of Death Eaters and their despicable capabilities, see pages eight and nine.) It is obvious that Death Eaters still have control of the British Ministry, or these Dark and dangerous wizards would not be allowed to walk free and travel to the safety of Australia. _

_You read that correctly readers, Australia, our country, in particular, the city of Brisbane in Queensland. This reporter has followed and observed one Death Eater in particular that in no way could have escaped the Dementor's Kiss without some inside interference in the Ministry. In fact there was no trial by the British Wizengamot at all for this particular Death Eater and his name has been completely cleared. The news that a Death Eater is walking amongst us is very troubling in and of itself; however, the Darkness extends far beyond his falsified freedom._

_Draco Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater and son of famed Death Eater, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, has been observed peacefully walking the streets, dining at Amortentia, and staying at our own Lacewing Fly Inn. While that is all certainly troubling, what this reporter fears the most is the witch with whom he's apparently "traveling." Death Eater Malfoy has been seen in the constant presence of Hermione Granger, Second Wizarding War Heroine, Order of Merlin, First Class. _

_An inside source close to this reporter describes the previous relationship between Miss Granger and Death Eater Malfoy as a hostile, vengeful, and loathsome one. Miss Granger's previous relationships with Harry Potter, Victor Krum, and Ronald Weasley show her tendency to only date famous wizards on the side of the Light. Though Krum was not involved in the War, he is a close friend to Mr. Potter, Mrs. Fleur Weasley, nee Delacour, and Miss Granger leading us to believe his loyalty leans to the Light. There is no possible way that Miss Granger would ever date a Death Eater, even a famous one. Death Eater Malfoy is said to be an extremely talented Occlumens and has been trained to fight and use Unforgivable Curses by his father and his late aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lord Voldemort's most devoted Death Eater and reported mistress. _

_This reporter was privy to light, happy conversation that is abnormal between Miss Granger and Death Eater Malfoy, while they were dining at the exclusive Amortentia last night. Pictures captured show Miss Granger with a glazed look in her eyes as Death Eater Malfoy spoke to her. To the untrained eye, it would appear to be love; but this reporter knows that look is a side effect of the Imperious Curse, an Unforgivable. Death Eater Malfoy may be suffering from delusions after his casting of the Curse,- as this reporter overheard him proclaiming his love for Miss Granger in Moondust Park and reveling in the fact that she too admitted to be in love with him. He may have forgotten that Miss Granger is not acting on her own free will. He is obviously a very talented actor to have been able to hoodwink the entire British Ministry into letting him walk free; so it's possible that his apparent affection for Miss Granger is also falsified in order to further his reputation._

_There is also the possibility that Death Eater Malfoy has simply used a love potion on Miss Granger; and if that is the case, the questions arise as to what does he believe he will gain by receiving Miss Granger's false love and how did he trick her into drinking it? However it seems unlikely that a love potion was used, as Miss Granger did not act like a lovesick fool as all love potions tend to make one act; but rather she acted relatively normal, with the exception of spending time with Death Eater Malfoy. _

_The only rational conclusion that we can draw is that Miss Granger is under the Imperious Curse, issued by Death Eater Malfoy's wand. (For more information on this wand and the part it played in the downfall of Lord Voldemort, see page ten.) He is armed with said wand and is to be considered extremely dangerous. Do not underestimate him and approach with caution if trying to rescue Miss Granger. A confrontation arose at Amortentia when a rescue attempt of Miss Granger was made. Death Eater Malfoy showed his true Dark colors when he drew his wand on the caring, but naïve couple who approached him and Miss Granger. The rescue attempt failed when Miss Granger showed them paperwork from both the British Ministry and the Brisbane Ministry stating that they were in fact here with the knowledge of both Ministries. This only serves to prove that Death Eaters have infiltrated our own Ministry. (For pictures of Death Eater Malfoy and the captured Miss Granger's night on the town, see page two.)_

_Miss Granger is claimed to be the brightest witch of our time and if she's fallen under the Death Eater's spell, there is very little hope for the rest of us witches and wizards. Times once again will become Dark indeed._

"Oh that's utter rubbish!" exclaimed Hermione as she put the copy in her handbag. "I _thought_ I that one butterfly was more annoying than the rest last night. I'll bet she's an unregistered Animagus. _And_ I'll bet every last knut I have that her source was Rita. I can't believe that once again a Skeeter is making false accusations in my life. But, what she wrote about me is nothing compared to what she wrote about you, Draco."

Draco's jaw was tight and he took a deep breath before he said tensely, "I have a feeling this is the first of many articles regarding our relationship. We need to get your parents back to London, Hermione; that's our priority right now. I'll have my lawyer deal with Randi Skeeter and _The Daily Diviner;_ though, Minister Brighton, I would suggest investigating Skeeter for an Animagus form."

"Of course Mr. Malfoy. I will personally see to it that Ms. Skeeter is investigated for an Anigamus form. I have very little power over the _Diviner_, but I can put a gag-order on her and the paper regarding any more references to you and Miss Granger. Once again, I am so sorry for the problems Ms. Skeeter and some of our citizens have caused. Please feel free to come back to Brisbane without the fear of persecution. I will personally vouch for you and will deal with any offenders swiftly and justly…starting with Parsons and Valoy. I will be in contact with your Minister regarding this entire situation," the Minister said worriedly. He feared how the attacks of such high-profile guests to his Ministry would be received. He was close friends with Minister Shacklebolt and knew that he needed to resolve the problems quickly.

Hermione and Draco glared at both Parsons and Valoy. Hermione added, "You also might want to train your Aurors to research their "tips" for credibility before acting so rashly. A truthful article written by a Skeeter is about as rare as a male phoenix."

"But phoenixes are never male," Valoy said confused. Hermione just looked at her incredulously. After a moment comprehension crossed the Auror's face and then she flushed red.

Minister Brighton cleared his throat and stated, "I'll have a discussion with the head of the Auror Department." The Minister waved his wand in the air around Hermione, Draco, and Carl and continued by saying, "Please take this opportunity to Apparate directly from this spot. I have lowered the Apparition wards so you can avoid any further confrontations. Once again, I apologize for the problems you've encountered."

Hermione, Draco, and Carl thanked the Minister for his help and then Apparated directly into the Wilkins' living room.

"Hello?" Hermione called out in the empty room. Carl ventured into the kitchen, while Hermione and Draco waited for Hermione's parents to appear.

Monica came down the stairs and said, "Oh it's you. I was wondering what that pop I heard was. I must say, this magic stuff is going to take some getting used to." Her hand was clutched to her chest in surprise.

"Sorry about just popping inside; but we didn't want your neighbors to see us appear out of thin air. Carl's in the kitchen finishing packing; we're hoping to get everything packed so we can leave shortly. Will you and Mr. Wilkins be ready soon?" Draco asked politely.

Monica nodded and replied, "Wendell is returning our keys to the landlady right now. She lives just down the street, so he should be back momentarily. We'll be ready to leave as soon as we can get your help with the remaining items upstairs."

Hermione and Draco followed Monica up to the bedroom and quickly packed everything, including the bed, into one last box and shrunk it to put in the backpack. By the time they finished and went back downstairs, Wendell was in the kitchen talking to Carl.

"Oh Wendell, you should have seen them pack the bedroom. It took less than a minute and our bed is smaller than a thimble!" Monica exclaimed.

Wendell raised his eyebrows, but didn't otherwise respond to her excited statement.

"Is there anything else you need to do here, or are we able to leave?" Hermione asked her parents.

Wendell shook his head and said, "We're ready whenever you are. Just how are we going to get back to London though? And what will happen when we arrive?"

Carl looked at Hermione who nodded to him before he said, "We will be traveling by something called a Portkey. You will need to hold onto the object until we tell you to let go of it. We will be landing in the Spell Damage Ward of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. You will both be given an initial evaluation to make sure you have no side effects from travelling via Portkey. It's not likely that you will, however we want to be certain that everything is normal before we try to remove the spells and charms that have been placed on you. Often Muggles feel uncomfortable after travelling magically. After the evaluation, you will undergo some tests and eventually meet with the head of our department, Healer Remembrall. I'm not sure how long you'll need to stay at St. Mungo's; but we'll do our best to fix you quickly."

Wendell and Monica nodded apprehensively. While Carl had been talking, Hermione had removed the stuffed bear from her handbag.

Addressing her parents, Hermione explained, "We will all hold onto this bear and then I will activate it. It's going to feel like there's a hook behind your navel pulling you. Remember, do not let go of the bear until we tell you to. Draco, do you have the backpack?" He nodded and she continued, "Good, everyone, hang on tightly."

Hermione's parents stood together on one side of the bear, Draco and Hermione on the other, each holding a leg of the bear, Carl held the head. Hermione pointed her wand at the bear and said, "Portus." The bear briefly glowed blue and then everyone felt a tug behind their navels as they began to travel toward London.

A visibly shaken Monica and Wendell Wilkins landed in a heap on the padded floor of the Spell Damage Ward in St. Mungo's Hospital once they were told to let go of the Portkey. Carl, Hermione, and Draco landed smoothly on their feet next to the Muggles. Four Healers in lime green robes swarmed the room as soon as the group arrived and assisted the couple to their feet and began to evaluate them. One turned to Carl and began to ask questions regarding his initial findings.

"Red? Do you know what it means? I've never seen red. We need to get them into testing immediately." The Healer's words drifted to Hermione and broke her concentration. She had been watching her parent's evaluation and shifted her attention to the other conversation. Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him when he too heard the Healer's words.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins? We need to take you to a private room so we can help you. If you'll please follow me, I'll lead you down the hall to room 298. Watch out for Mr. Storm, one of our patients. His body was switched with his Crup's and though he's able to communicate with us, the Crup mind occasionally takes over and he's proving difficult to restrain," the youngest Healer in the room stated.

"Er, what's a Crup?" Wendell asked cautiously.

"Oh, it's a wizard-bred dog that is extremely loyal to wizards, but is ferocious toward Muggles. It won't hesitate to try to eat you. But don't worry, the Creature Induced Injury Ward is on the First Floor and we can get you there quickly if needed. So, this way please," the same Healer replied.

Wendell and Monica grasped each other's hand and followed the Healer out of the padded room. Hermione made to follow them and the Healer that had been talking to Carl stopped her.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, we were instructed to direct you to the Ministry upon your return. A matter has arisen that requires your attention. Don't worry Miss Granger, your parents are in good hands here. Healer Remembrall won't be in until this afternoon; so until then we won't be able to do much more than Carl did in Australia," the Healer said.

"What matter has arisen? Nothing's more important right now than my parents. Minister Shacklebolt won't care if we wait until this evening to go to the Ministry," Hermione replied.

"I don't know why you're needed; but the Minister himself requested that you both go to see him as soon as possible. I'm really sorry. Hopefully by the time you return, we'll have a solution for your parent's problems. You can use the fireplace on the far wall to Floo to the Ministry. Good day," the Healer waved his wand at a plain looking wall and a fireplace appeared in the middle of it. He turned around and opened the door leading into the ward.

Hermione and Draco threw Floo Powder into the flames, stepped into the fireplace, and called out "Ministry of Magic." As they began to move, the sound of snapping and growling could be heard through the closing door.

* * *

A/N: I will continue the quiz theme that has ended my previous chapters. It seems to work well and gives you an easy way to send me feedback. Once again, type the letter that best applies in the review box and click submit.

A) I loved this chapter and can hardly wait to find out what happens next!

B) This chapter was fine.

C) That chapter was horrible, definitely not worth the almost one year wait.

D) (Please feel free to share your own comments)

Thank you for your reviews and I will do my best to get the next chapter up in a much more timely manner! (Positive feedback may help motivate me-hint hint!)


	12. The Ministry, The MUNCHIES, The Manor

**_Chapter Twelve ~ The Ministry, The MUNCHIES, The Manor_**

Hermione clung to Draco as they stumbled out of the Floo into the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. She looked up at him worriedly and asked, "Do you think the Crup got my parents?"

Draco shrugged and hesitantly replied, "I don't know. I hope not. What the bloody hell is going on here?" His question came as he noticed the mass of yelling witches and wizards being magically restrained in front of them. Aurors were stationed evenly across the Atrium continually refreshing and strengthening the magical crowd control barriers.

Hermione turned away from Draco and looked at the crowd. She noticed both Harry and Ron among the other Aurors; both appeared to be annoyed with the unruly group. She tried to make sense of what the crowd was yelling and heard pieces of questions. "…Imperious Curse?" "…Really with him?" "…Both Death Eaters?" "How could she…?" "Hasn't he been cleared of all charges?" "…Real reason they were in Australia?"

Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and said quietly, "They're here because of us."

They both noticed witches and wizards clutching special edition copies of the _Daily Prophet_ and waving them frantically as they shouted the questions. A copy drifted to the floor in front of the couple and Draco bent over to pick it up before pulling Hermione close to him once again. The moving headline read, _"Breaking News: Australia's _The Daily Diviner_ Uncovers a Death Eater's Plot to Corrupt Our War Heroine!"_ The paper was a reprint of _The Daily Diviner_ with an additional opinion article written by none other than Rita Skeeter.

_Imagine my surprise when I, Rita Skeeter, gorgeous blonde bombshell, not even close to past my prime, received an urgent Floo delivery of _The Daily Diviner_ from my cousin Randi Skeeter, the lead reporter for _The Daily Diviner_. She knew that I had been fooled by Death Eater Draco Malfoy before and she worried that now that her own Ministry apparently has been infiltrated by Death Eaters, this news would be concealed. The young Death Eater Malfoy helped me gather information during the Triwizard Tournament a few years ago and he used his charms to make me believe that he was an honest and caring wizard. I would like to note that at the time of my contact with the Death Eater Malfoy, he was not yet a Death Eater and I would never have talked to him if I would have known where his true allegiances lay. I have since realized that the only kind of charms or magic that Death Eater Malfoy uses are considered very Dark ones._

_I may not have been very complimentary to Miss Hermione Granger, Second Wizarding War Heroine, Order of Merlin, First Class, in the past, but she must believe now that I only have her best interests at heart. I want to make it as clear as a glass jar that I mean her no harm and only want to see the Imperious Curse lifted from her as quickly as possible. I would hate to see our naïve war heroine fall victim to the Dark side. With that wild, curly hair of hers, she could very well begin to resemble Bellatrix Lestrange if Death Eater Malfoy uses his Dark influence on her. I chose to protect the poor, defenseless, Imperioused Miss Granger, and am not looking to further my illustrious career at all, by bringing the wonderful _Daily Prophet_ readers the biggest news since the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named._

"Look at her eyes, they're crazy; he's already turning her into the next Bellatrix," a voice yelled from the crowd. Hermione's head shot up and her glare focused on the man whose voice had risen above the rest. Her hand moved toward her pocket, but Draco caught hold of her arm before she could withdraw the vine wand. He shook his head and pointed toward the tall, striking man that was casting spells as he walked through the crowd to simultaneously get to Hermione and Draco and to keep the crowd from doing the same.

"Kingsley, what do we do?" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly when he finally managed to make his way to the couple's side.

Kingsley Shacklebolt cast a Sonusobice charm to create a sound barrier in front of the crowd. It didn't silence the crowd; but it allowed for a quiet space in which the three could speak.

"You're going to have to talk to them. I'm sorry to pull you from the hospital and away from your parents; but the Ministry has been overrun with outraged witches and wizards since the special edition was delivered. The Aurors have been trying to control them; however, Ministry employees are finding it extremely difficult to work, or even to arrive to work today. I had to temporarily shut down the incoming Floo system with the exception of the one you just exited. I was hoping that Minister Brighton would have been able to stop this from spreading here. Obviously Rita was working closely with her cousin and made sure the story wasn't suppressed. I went to the _Daily Prophet_ office as soon as I saw the paper, but it was too late to stop all of this from happening. I couldn't find Rita Skeeter; though when I do, she is going to have to answer for making false accusations and for causing mass panic and this chaotic scene. Again, I'm sorry I couldn't clear this mess up without you here." Kingsley looked defeated and apologetic.

Kingsley ended the sound barrier charm when Hermione and Draco nodded in agreement.

Draco and Hermione pointed their wands at their throats simultaneously and said, "Sonorus."

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," Draco began. Hermione raised her eyebrows at his opening statement, not quite agreeing with his choice of address. He shrugged and continued, "You're obviously upset over some false articles written by two Skeeters. We're here at the request of Minister Shacklebolt to address some of your concerns."

Before he could continue, Draco was interrupted by numerous questions coming from every direction.

"Before we answer any of your questions, and let me be clear, we will only be answering a few, I request Veritaserum be administered to us if any is available. I will not have our responses questioned," Hermione said forcefully.

Kingsley approached a Senior Auror and was handed two small vials. Casting his own Sonorus Charm to address the crowd he said, "I will administer a new variation of Veritaserum. There is no preventative method that can be taken ahead of this new serum. It will allow them only to speak the truth, not just what they believe to be true. They cannot fight the serum as it will cause them to answer even if they are unwilling. It will also cause them to fully explain the truth rather than give one word answers. If they do not speak within a minute, the truth will be pulled from their minds and amplified for all to hear. There is only one antidote which will be administered once they have answered a sufficient number of questions to prove these articles false.

All administration of Veritaserum falls under the express control of the Ministry. This new formula will never be released as it has been created somehow by the Department of Mysteries. Even as the Minister of Magic, I have no knowledge of how it is created or even how it exactly works, only that it actually does work. I don't believe the administration to be necessary as I believe Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger explicitly; however, I will honor their request for the truth serum. That request in itself should make you all believe that these stories are false. Heed my words: The Ministry will not tolerate false accusations and threats against any witch or wizard." Kingsley's deep voice echoed with authority before he ended the Sonorus Charm.

Holding hands, Draco and Hermione both opened their mouths and Kingsley placed three drops of the new serum on their tongues. The effects were immediate and the couple turned to face the crowd.

"Death Eater Malfoy, how many people have you killed?" a middle-aged brunette witch asked.

Draco flinched and immediately responded, "I haven't killed anyone."

"Death Eater Malfoy, aren't you disgusted by fact that you as a pureblood are pretending to be in love with a Mudblood?" a haughty looking wizard with an upturned nose asked.

Draco glared at the wizard and spat, "Don't call anyone a Mudblood, especially Hermione. She's the most incredible woman I've ever met and I'm not pretending to love her. I do love her and I don't care what her blood status is."

"Death Eater Malfoy, you tried to kill Albus Dumbledore among other actions under He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named orders; how did you escape the Dementor's Kiss?" a witch with green-tinted skin and numerous warts on her nose asked.

Draco cringed before he said, "I didn't want to kill him and I'm glad it wasn't me in the end. I was forced to be a Death Eater; I never wanted to be one. As for how I escaped the Dementor's Kiss, I have Harry Potter to thank for that. He testified on behalf of my mother and me in front of the Wizengamot. Because of him we were given a second chance to live our lives the way we always should have been living them, on the side of the light."

"Death Eater Malfoy, were you part of the in…?" a wizard began but was interrupted by Hermione.

"Don't call him Death Eater Malfoy. Call him Mr. Malfoy. We call you Mr. Overton, not Goat-fucker Overton, even though we all know that that's what you do in your spare time. Have some respect," she exclaimed before slapping her hand over her mouth and looking at Draco with wide eyes. He tried not to laugh at the expression on her face. He kissed her forehead and she lowered her hand and gave him a sheepish smile.

Hermione turned back to the crowd and said, "We are not here today to answer ridiculous questions about the past. We are here to answer questions regarding the articles that were published. Draco has already been cleared by the Wizengamot; please stop attacking him. Start asking relevant questions or I will have the Minister administer the antidote and then you will have no answers."

"Death, excuse me, Mr. Malfoy, did you use the Imperious Curse or a love potion on Miss Granger?" a tall wizard asked.

Draco replied, "No. I have never and will never use the Imperious Curse or a love potion on Hermione. Everything she does and says is of her own free will."

A short, thin witch asked, "Miss Granger why are you in the presence of De...er…Mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione looked up at Draco as she answered the witch, "I love him and we're dating. We have worked through our past together and have found that we are extremely well matched. We have no secrets from one another and we are looking forward to a bright future together."

A murmur went through the crowd as they realized the stories were false.

"What are your plans for a future with Hermione, Malfoy? And what will happen to her if Daddy Death Eater gets out of Azkaban?" Ron asked from his position in front of the much less hostile crowd.

"I want to marry her Weasley. And I will protect her and any children she gives me against anyone that wishes them harm, even my own father. I've already promised you that I won't hurt her; I meant it then and I mean it now," Draco said directly to Ron. Ron nodded his head once in acknowledgement of Draco's answers.

"Why were you in Australia together?" and elderly witch asked quietly.

"My parents were hidden there to protect them during the war. Draco helped me find them and bring them back home. We had just arrived at St. Mungo's when we were summoned here. I believe we've answered enough questions. I love Draco. Draco loves me. I am not under the Imperious Curse or a love potion. The stories in _The Daily Diviner_ and the _Daily Prophet_ are false. Minister may we have the antidote please so we may return to my parents?" Hermione asked Kingsley. Draco and Hermione pointed their wands at their throats once again and said, "Quietus."

Kingsley stepped forward with the second vial and placed three drops on their tongues while telling them that it would take a few minutes before the first serum was reversed. Right before she turned back to the fireplaces, Hermione pointed her wand at a flower on a witch's hat and said, "Petrificus Totalus." The witch's eyes went wide and she froze in place. Hermione walked quickly toward the witch and held out a conjured jar in front of the witch's face just in time to catch a small beetle and a butterfly that fell from the flower. When the witch realized that she wasn't actually under the curse that Hermione had cast, she fainted into the arms of the wizard behind her. Hermione magically sealed the jar and walked back to Draco's side.

"Why did you do that Miss Granger?" Kingsley asked as his eyes looked between the unconscious witch and the jar in Hermione's hand.

"Well Minister, I caught two Skeeters with one spell. I'm not sure how the butterfly got here so quickly, but I would be willing to bet it wasn't authorized international travel. Also, neither has registered their Animagus form." She looked into the jar and stared at the beetle and said, "I thought I taught you a lesson before about printing lies, but I guess not. Between these stories and the book about Professor Dumbledore, I just don't think you deserve to have me keep your secret any longer. Besides, the Minister asked me a question and I had to tell him the truth. Say hello to my future father-in-law during your stay in Azkaban Rita. As for you Randi, I'm not sure what the punishment is in Brisbane for an unregistered Animagus; but at the very least we want a full retraction of your article and a public apology. I'm sure Draco's lawyers will be in touch regarding the defamation of his character," Hermione said smugly. She handed the jar to a surprised Kingsley and walked with Draco to the fireplace.

Just before they stepped into the fireplace to Floo to St. Mungo's, Harry yelled out with a wink, "Hey Malfoy, since you still have to tell the truth, who's a better seeker, you or me?"

Draco narrowed his eyes and tried to keep his mouth shut. Hermione smirked as she looked up at him struggling not to answer the question. Draco started to move them into the fireplace and just as they started to spin away, the answer was pulled from Draco's mind and everyone listening heard, "Damn you Harry Potter, everyone knows you're a better seeker than I am." Harry laughed at the response before returning to work, helping the other Aurors clear the crowd from the Atrium.

Hermione and Draco exited the Floo at St. Mungo's and immediately went to the Spell Damage Ward. Hermione rushed to the main desk and said, "My parents were brought in about an hour ago and we had to leave. I heard a Crup growling as we left. Are they alright? They're Muggles."

The elderly witch behind the desk asked, "Earlier we did have a Crup try to attack some Muggles. What are their names dear?"

"Their real names are Henry and Jane Granger; but they think they're Wendell and Monica Wilkins. The Healers were going to bring them to room 298. Are they there? Were they hurt by the Crup?" Hermione asked in a panic. She grasped Draco's hand as she waited for the answer.

The witch flipped through some papers to find the answer to Hermione's question. With each second that passed, Draco's hand was squeezed a bit tighter. Finally the witch replied, "Ah, here it is. Don't worry dear, your parents are fine. They are in room 298 with Healer Rememberall, he arrived earlier than expected. Fortunately for your parents a pair of Muggle teenagers were in the hall at the same time they arrived and the Crup was focused on them. The Healers were able to restrain the Crup and all the Muggles are currently safe. I must warn you that the teens somehow got ahold of some cursed candy; we're not sure what it is yet. Be careful of the shiny bubbles that keep escaping their room, they smell like rotten eggs if one pops on you."

Hermione loosened her hold on Draco's hand once she heard that her parents were fine. "Thank you for your help and advice," Draco said as he led Hermione down the hall toward room 298. They paused a few doors away to wait for hundreds of shiny bubbles of various sizes to pass through the hall before they continued walking.

A Healer met them outside the room and said, "I can't let you in right now. They're undergoing a very detailed examination by Healer Rememberall. He and Healer Featherstone, along with a couple of other Healers are trying to determine the various aspects of the spells affecting them. If you could just wait out here for a while they'll let you in when they're finished. Watch out for the bubbles. We're not quite sure what they are yet or where they got ahold of cursed candy."

"I have a hunch where they could have gotten cursed candy," Draco muttered.

"Really? Any information that could help us would be appreciated. The sooner we fix the problem, the sooner we can alter their memories and get them back to their normal Muggle lives," the Healer said excitedly.

"Can we use your Floo to make a call? We'll probably be able to get you some answers rather quickly that way," Hermione replied.

The Healer nodded and brought them to a small fireplace behind the desk.

Hermione called out Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes as she put her head in the green flames.

"George? Where are you?" Hermione yelled once she could see into the store.

"You might want to yell louder. He probably can't _ear_ you," Portrait Fred said from his frame on the wall opposite the fireplace.

"I can hear just fine Fred," George yelled from across the store. He placed some products on the shelf and came closer to Hermione's head and Fred's portrait.

"No need to get _ear_-itable. It was just a joke. I just don't know what to do with him anymore Hermione. I used to tease him all the time and it would go in one ear and out the other, and now, well you see how he is. I guess when you lose your ear, it's _ear_-replaceable," Portrait Fred said with a snicker.

"You know Fred, I'm in such a good mood that I'm just gonna ignore your terrible puns today. I have a date with Angelina tomorrow. We're going on a picnic lunch and then she's coming to the Burrow for Harry's birthday party tomorrow night. I saw the _Daily Prophet_ and even I know that the Skeeters are full of shite. As much as I hate to admit it, you two look good together and Draco really seems to have changed. I guess what I'm trying to say is, not that my opinion really matters or anything, but as long as he makes you happy, he has my approval," George said with a soft smile.

"Thank you George and your opinion does matter to me," Hermione replied with tears in her eyes.

"Alright, enough with the mushy stuff; please tell us why we are only graced with the presence of your head this fine afternoon," Fred interrupted the moment.

Hermione glared at his portrait before answering, "Draco and I are at St. Mungo's waiting for the Healers to evaluate my parents and they're having a problem with some other Muggles so I thought I would talk to you about it."

George and Fred exchanged a look and George said, "Well, we know we're brilliant and all."

"But we didn't even take our N.E.W.T.S.," continued Fred.

"So therefore we really aren't qualified to be Healers," George said with a confused look.

"Besides we look horrible in lime green. Magenta really is our colour," Fred said as he picked an invisible piece of lint off his painted robes.

"I'd much rather create the products that will help keep St. Mungo's staff busy and confused," George said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah, what he said; and I'm a portrait, they probably wouldn't hire me," Fred finished.

Hermione's head had swiveled back and forth between the two as they finished each other's sentences. "You two are giving me whiplash. I'm here because some Muggles have shiny bubbles constantly coming out of them and it smells like rotten eggs when they pop. Do you have any idea what that might be?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Ah yes, I know exactly what that is. They found a case of the MUNCHIES," George replied as he scratched something onto a piece of parchment he pulled a pocket in his magenta robes.

"What do you mean a case of the MUNCHIES? Isn't that a Muggle drug reference, like something that happens after smoking too much weed?" Hermione asked confused.

"Why would Muggles smoke weeds? Mum makes us clear the garden of the weeds; could we have been selling the weeds to the Muggles all these years?" George asked confused.

"Not weeds, pot," Hermione tried to clarify.

"Pots? Like pots and pans? I thought you said they smoked it. How do you smoke a pot; do you light the handle? I can't imagine the metal catches on fire; or do Muggles have a special kind of fire that melts the pot? Do they stick their heads in the pots to get the smoke out? I wonder if Dad ever examined their pots that closely," George shook his head trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

"Or did you mean like a gardening pot? Mum has a bunch of those too and they had weeds in them. Does it matter if they are clay or wooden? I can't imagine that the clay ones light as easily as the wooden ones. And what do you do with the dirt inside of them?" Portrait Fred asked.

"What about the garden gnomes? If you smoke their pot, then they become homeless. Maybe that's why they were so agitated when Mum made us de-gnome the garden; they were worried that we would smoke their homes," George added.

"George, Fred, focus. Weed and pot are names that Muggles use for a drug. They inhale the smoke from the combusting leaves of the cannabis plant. It's not the weeds or pots from your mum's garden or the pots from her kitchen. When they smoke they often get what's called a case of the munchies where they want to eat a lot of snack foods," Hermione tried to explain.

"Oh I think Mum actually used to use something like that in Ron's pumpkin juice every morning. She said it made him eat more because he was a growing boy," George said thoughtfully.

"Are you serious?" Hermione asked.

"I believe you need to have your eyes checked Hermione and maybe your memories too. I know I'm devastatingly handsome, but tall and dark don't fit my description. I've been confused for Fred more times than I can count, but never for Sirius Black; that's quite a compliment Hermione. Wait, I take that back. There was this one time when Fred, Lee, and I were in McGonagall's office after Filch caught us pulling a prank on some Slytherins in our year. We had charmed their ear and nose hair to grow about a foot and we had managed to make it bright green and curly. McGonagall stared at us for a few minutes and then said, 'It's like I'm looking at the Marauders again.' Then she said if we ever reproduced she was retiring. Ahh, fond memories," George said wistfully.

Hermione kicked her foot into the ground in frustration. Since only her head was in the Floo, George missed her expression of frustration. Draco on the other hand was watching and trying not to laugh at his girlfriend. He could only hear her half of the conversation, but it was enough to know that George was in especially good spirits that day.

"Ugh, we are so off topic. What did you mean when you said they found a case of the munchies?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"I meant that they found a case of the MUNCHIES. It's a new product that I was going to introduce for the beginning of the school year. I was transporting a few cases from the Burrow to the store the other day and the weather was beautiful so decided to take them on my broom. A strong headwind came out of nowhere and I lost a few cases above a Muggle village. I retrieved two of the four cases and I guess those teenagers found another case. The last case fell in pond so the only problem there will be with gassy fish. Or maybe some gassy turtles. Oh, I wonder what a gassy duck will sound like; will it quack the bubbles out? That would be really funny to watch. Hey Fred, maybe I'll go to the pond after work. If you don't cause me too many headaches today I'll bring your portrait along and we can watch the ducks quack bubbles," George got lost in his thoughts and Hermione had to put her hands in the Floo and clap to get his attention again.

"George, you can think about the ducks later. What are MUNCHIES? The Muggle teenagers apparently ate a lot of them and the Healers want to know what they can do to help them," she said.

George disappeared for a few minutes before returning with a small box of MUNCHIES. He passed it through the Floo to Hermione and said, "There's nothing they can do until it's out of their systems. If they knew how many they ate it would be helpful, but if they consumed the whole case it could be a few days before they're gas free. I guess St. Mungo's can have that box."

"Thanks George. I'll give this to the Healers. Bye Fred. I've got to go and see about my parents. George, enjoy your date with Angelina tomorrow. I'll probably see you at Harry's party tomorrow night," Hermione said before she pulled her head out of the Floo and broke the connection.

With a sigh she sat in a chair and examined the box from George. Draco sat next to her and together they read the box.

MUNCHIES: Mysterious Unidentifiable Nonreversible* Captivatingly Harrowing Incandescent Effervescing Snackbox *Nonreversible effects last for a minimum of two hours per piece consumed. Each additional piece consumed increases the time of the effects exponentially. Effervescence may multiply if attempted Vanishing occurs.

"Where do they get these ideas? Charmingly dangerous shining bubbling snackboxes? Hogwarts is going to smell this year isn't it? We're going to have to watch for bubbles everywhere," Draco groaned and ducked his head as a large bubble floated near him.

Hermione turned the box over and removed a note attached to it that read: _Hermione, I know all about the Muggle drug that causes the munchies. Fred, Lee, and I actually tried it during the reign of Umbridge. We came up with some great ideas that night, but unfortunately Lee accidentally smoked the list. Don't tell Mum! Love, Sirius (Or maybe it's George, but it doesn't matter since apparently you can't tell us apart!)_

"George was in good form today. I hope it means that his depression is lessening; though I'm not sure Hogwarts will be up for all the new pranks. Oh look, it's Carl," Hermione said as she jumped to her feet, pulling Draco up with her.

They met Carl and an older wizard outside her parent's room. "What's in the box?" Carl asked Hermione.

"It's the answer to the Muggle's bubbling problem. They found a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product. I'm afraid you're just going to have to let it run its course before you modify their memories," she answered while handing the box to Carl.

He inspected the box before he said, "We figured as much. We tried Vanishing the bubbles and it just made it worse. One of the younger Healers guessed it was a Weasley product like the Wildfire Wizz-Bangs. Thank you for helping us Hermione. Now, about your parents. Let me introduce Healer Rememberall. Sir, this is Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

The group shook hands and then Healer Rememberall said, "I have administered a potion to your parents that will cause them to sleep for the next 48 hours. Once it has settled in their systems we should be able to reveal most, if not all of the spells. I've only seen the red a couple of times before and this potion is the best way to determine what it means, as it's something different each time. Don't worry, it is harmless and your parents will wake up refreshed on Sunday morning. They need to be completely undisturbed for the potion to work correctly, so I suggest you take the next 48 hours to relax yourselves. If you happen to think of any spells that may have affected your parents, don't hesitate to let us know. It was nice meeting you; but I have to visit with the families of the Muggle teenagers and modify their memories before they start telling others about the bubbles."

Hermione looked through the window in the door of her parent's room and sighed heavily at the sight of her sleeping parents. "Draco, can I go back to Malfoy Manor with you tonight? I don't want to be away from you," Hermione asked quietly.

Draco pulled Hermione into his arms and held her tightly as he said, "I never want to be away from you. Of course you can come home with me. I'm sure Mother is anxious to see us both."

They were able to Floo directly to the manor using the fireplace in the ward. They stepped into the entrance hall and noticed that the manor seemed darker than usual.

"Mother?" Draco called. His inquiry was met with silence. He looked down at Hermione and she shrugged her shoulders. They walked down the hall and looked into both the den and the study. Both rooms were empty. They wandered to the conservatory where Narcissa often spent her afternoons and it too was empty.

"Haddie?" Draco called loudly.

They heard a pop and the small house-elf appeared in front of them.

"Master Draco, you's returned. Did you and Miss have a good trip? Haddie missed Master Draco. How can Haddie serve you and Miss today?" Haddie asked excitedly. Draco had crouched down to the house-elf's level while Haddie was speaking to him.

Hermione watched Draco's interaction with the Haddie and fell in love with him a little more.

"I missed you too Haddie. Do you know where my mother is?" he asked the house-elf.

"Oh yes Master Draco. Haddie knows where Mistress is. Mistress left a letter for you. Haddie will go get it," she replied before she disappeared with a pop.

Standing up once again, he looked at Hermione and noticed the look of awe on her face and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hermione just shook her head and kissed him sweetly. He gave her a confused look when she stepped back from him. "You just showed me one more way that you've changed. You never treated Dobby that way," she commented.

He gave her a sheepish smile and replied, "I tried to be nice to Dobby when I was little, but my father caught me and punished Dobby. I didn't really change until after the war. Voldemort killed all of our elves after he found out Dobby helped you escape. He said Malfoy elves couldn't be trusted to keep his secrets. Haddie had belonged to the Lestrange family but hated Aunt Bellatrix. She loved my mother though and we saved her after the war. All three of the elves we have here now were without a family to serve after the war."

"Do you pay them?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

Before he could answer her question, Haddie reappeared with another pop. "Oh no Miss. Us could never accept pay for doing what we's love to do. Master and Mistress have already given us so much. Master tried to pay us, but we's told him no. We's happy here. Here Master Draco, here's the letter from Mistress. Haddie will get you and Miss some tea," she said before once again disappearing.

Hermione looked at Draco after Haddie left. He shrugged and said, "They don't want to be paid. We did convince them to take a day off each month." Hermione nodded in acceptance of their answers and gestured toward the letter Draco was holding.

He opened the letter and Hermione read it along with him.

_Dearest Draco,_

_I'm not sure if this letter will be necessary or not as you may still be in Australia with Hermione; however, I felt the need to write it in case you come back when I'm gone._

_I took a page out of Hermione's book and decided that if I want answers I have to seek them. I have been doing some research and I think I may have a lead on the location of your godmother. I got in contact with an old friend from Paris and she thinks she might have seen Artemis and Lyra. She's going to allow me to view her memories to see if it really is them. I'll be gone until Saturday evening. Along with looking at the memories, we're going visit and do some shopping. Hopefully I'll have good news when I return. I know we had talked about traveling to France together before you went back to Hogwarts; but Marguerite was only available this weekend before she travels to Russia._

_I hope you both had a wonderful time in Australia and that you got to do at least one fun thing before you left. If Hermione's parents need a place to stay, they are more than welcome at the manor. You know how to adjust the wards to allow them entrance. I will see you soon._

_Love,_

_Mother_

While they were reading the letter, Haddie had served the tea and some sandwiches. "We have the manor all to ourselves. What would you like to do my dear?" Draco asked while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione looked Draco over from his head to his feet and back up to his eyes. A sly smile graced her face as she stared at him. She leaned close to him and placed her mouth at his ear. With a glint in her eyes that he couldn't see, she said, "I challenge you to a game of billiards."

It took Draco a few seconds to realize what she had said. He had been focused on her movements and playing billiards had been the last thing he expected to hear from her. He pulled back and noticed the laughter in her eyes and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Alright my vixen, but I need to warn you that I'm not going to let you win."

Hermione smirked and replied, "I hope you won't. I hate when someone throws a game."

Draco pulled her close to him once again and kissed her as he turned on the spot to Apparate them to the game room.

The rest of the day was spent playing games and spending time with one another. Saturday passed in the same way until it was time to return to the Burrow for Harry's birthday party. Draco and Hermione were heading to the fireplace when the house-elf, Winnie, appeared with a note that had just been delivered by an owl. Draco showed it to Hermione and they paused next to the fireplace to read the message.

_Dear Draco and Hermione,_

_I received the special edition of the _Daily Prophet_ yesterday morning followed by the update and retraction in the afternoon. I was so worried for both of you. None of those witches or wizards hurt you, did they? Did Hermione really out Sam Overton on his fondness for goats? I would have loved to have seen the look on old Sam's face. It's about time someone said something; maybe now he'll keep it in his pants, or at least in the barn. But I digress._

_I believe I have some wonderful news of Artemis and Lyra. The women from Marguerite's memories appear to be them. I say appear because Marguerite dropped her Pensieve as she removed it from the shelf and it cracked slightly. The crack caused the memories to be a bit blurry. She bottled the memories for me to take home to view in our Pensieve. The women she saw live just outside the city. We tried to stop by their house, but their wards would not allow us entry and the house-elf that answered the gate would tell us nothing other than that her mistresses were gone for the week. The fact that the women are witches gives me great hope. I will return next week once I confirm through the memories that it's Artemis and Lyra. It just has to be them._

_I will be home later this evening and I want to hear all about your trip. I have a feeling the _Daily Prophet's_ version is far from the truth._

_Love,_

_Mother/Narcissa_

Draco sighed and said, "Why don't you go to the Weasley's house without me? It's Potter's birthday and I doubt he'll miss me being there. I should wait for Mother; she seemed so excited and I'd hate for her to come home to an empty house."

Hermione nodded sadly. "I understand. I'll probably spend the night there. Once my parent's memories are restored I'll want to spend time with them and if they don't mind, maybe we all can stay here while they look for a new place to live. I'll have to pack up my things from the Burrow anyway. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow? I'll Floo here first and then we can go to St. Mungo's together. If that's okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course it's okay. Come over anytime; we'll be here. I love you," Draco said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you too," Hermione said after the kiss. After one more peck to his lips, she stepped into the fireplace and disappeared into the green flames. Draco sighed heavily as soon as Hermione was out of sight. With one last glance at the empty fireplace, he walked into the study to find a book to read until his mother returned home. Both Hermione and Draco found the night to be long without the other at their side.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to reviewer Greenwick for giving me the extra kick in the butt I needed to get you a chapter after all these months. I'm really excited for the next chapter (it's only about a third done, but it will be great!). If you are excited too, please review!

You know the drill:

A) What happens next? I want to read it now!

B) I might read the next chapter; but I might not.

C) I don't care what happens next; why did I read 12 chapters of this crap?

D) (Feel free to share your own comment)

Thank you so much!


	13. Narcissa's Pants, Draco's Betrothal Cont

_**Chapter Thirteen ~ Narcissa's Pants, Draco's Betrothal Contract, and Artemis's Trunk**_

"Exto horologium," Draco said with a flick of his wand. A bright clock appeared above him on the bed curtains and showed the time to be 5:02 in the morning. It was three months to the day that the Second Wizarding War had ended and Draco couldn't believe how much had changed in that time period. He watched the time pass as he thought about his life with Hermione and then the conversation he had with his mother the night before when she returned from Paris.

_Draco was in the study reading a Transfiguration book when Narcissa found him. He had been attempting to turn the leather covered ottoman of a chair into a small dog. He had almost succeeded, but the legs were still short wooden spindles that clunked against the ground when the dog tried to walk. When he noticed his mother, he waved his wand and returned the ottoman to its original form. _

"_That was close. Next time begin the wand movement from your bottom of your left hip instead of the top," she commented. Draco evaluated her comment and then attempted the transfiguration again. He began to laugh as the ottoman turned into a Pekingese and jumped around the room. He cancelled the spell and said, "Thanks. I did just fine on the all wooden chair; but I've been struggling with the transfiguration of an inanimate object made of multiple materials to an animate object. The legs didn't want to change like the rest of the body. So, how was your trip?" Draco asked changing the subject._

_Narcissa took off her traveling cloak and Winnie appeared to take it from her. Haddie popped into the room a few seconds later and brought a bottle of wine and two glasses. She poured the wine and gave Draco and Narcissa each a glass. _

_Narcissa sat down on a chair across from Draco's. "My trip was lovely. I left on Thursday and had a wonderful time catching up with Marguerite. We haven't been in contact in years and I worried how she would react to my reaching out to her. Her family was neutral in the war and they've been living in Paris for over twenty years. The part our family played in the war didn't bother her at all. She was more upset that I didn't contact her when I went to Paris four years ago. She considered it a terrible slight that I went shopping there without her guidance. I certainly rectified that oversight this time. I bought you and Hermione a few sets of new dress robes. I also found some new Muggle clothing that your father would never let me wear. I bought a pair of jeans from a trendy little shop. Did you know I've never worn pants before? I'm actually looking forward to cold weather so I can wear them," Narcissa said with a bright smile._

_Draco laughed and said, "That's wonderful Mother. Thank you for the robes; I'm sure they'll be perfect for us. Would you like me to get the Pensieve so you can view the memories?"_

_She shook her head and replied, "I'll get it later. I can't do anything about it tonight even if it is them since they are out of town. I'd rather hear about your trip."_

_Draco smiled and related the details of their time in Australia. Narcissa listened and asked questions as he spoke. When he finished, she watched him for a moment before she asked with a small smile, "So you finally told Hermione that you love her?" _

_Draco's face lit up and he nodded. "It was a perfect night, even with all of the interruptions. She loves me too; I feel so lucky to have found her. I can't believe I wasted so much time following Father's ideas. I could have been with her so much sooner," Draco said with a sigh._

"_We've all made mistakes Draco; but we can't change the past. Even with all of his faults, I love your father very much. I didn't fall in love with Lucius Malfoy the Death Eater. I fell in love with him long before he became so misguided. Somewhere, buried deep inside him is a good man. Oh Draco, I'm so happy you've found love and that you're able to live the life I always wanted you to have. I could tell before you left that you loved her," Narcissa said before taking a sip of her wine. _

_Draco just nodded. "Hermione will be here sometime in the morning and then we're going to the hospital. Hopefully the Healers will have all the answers to fix her parents. I think I'm going to head to bed. I'm glad you're home, Mother. Good night," he said as he walked toward the door._

"_Good night Draco," Narcissa replied._

When the clock turned to 5:37 Draco sighed and got out of bed. All night he had been thinking about Hermione and missing her. Sleep had been elusive and instead of struggling to sleep, he formed a plan. Before the clock turned to 6, Draco had Disapparated from Malfoy Manor.

* * *

Narcissa also had troubled sleep the night before as she reflected on her missing friends. The memory that she had viewed in her Pensieve before bed had not convinced her that the women _were_ Artemis and Lyra; but it had not convinced her that it _wasn't_ them either. The women had looked like how Narcissa would imagine them to look nearly eighteen years later. The biggest problem she was finding was that Marguerite's perspective of the women was from a distance and their faces were not clear enough even in an unbroken Pensieve.

Narcissa had just sat down in the conservatory to enjoy her breakfast when a large Gringotts owl flew through the open doors. It dropped an envelope in front of her and flew away without stopping. Narcissa peered at the envelope curiously; correspondence from Gringotts was rare and the appearance of a letter was unsettling to her. With shaking hands she picked up the envelope and opened it.

She pulled two sheets of parchment from the envelope. The first piece of parchment was a letter.

_Lady Malfoy,_

_It has come to our attention that a package was magically released from one of our vaults this morning per the owner's instructions. The enclosed contract appeared on my desk with a note stating that once the package was released from the previously mentioned vault, this contract needed to be reinstated immediately. I know no other details; just that I was to file it appropriately and then send a copy of it to you. _

_Regards,_

_Head Goblin of Gringotts Wizarding Bank_

Narcissa was confused for a moment until she set the letter aside and looked at the second piece of parchment. Her eyes widened and her face paled as she read, _"On this date, the fifth of June in the year nineteen hundred eighty, I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, hereby bind my son, Draco Lucius Malfoy, to be married no later than the thirty-first of August in the year nineteen hundred ninety-eight to Lyra…"_

It had at one time been her greatest dream to have her son marry her best friend's daughter. She imagined sitting by Artemis's side as they watched their grandchildren play. She knew that Lyra would become a gorgeous girl and the perfect match for her Draco. But Draco would never be able to accept the woman that would come between him and Hermione.

Narcissa quickly fled the conservatory and went directly to her study to write a letter to the family lawyer to see if there was some way the betrothal contract could be cancelled. Though the appearance of the contract was distressing because of how Draco would react, Narcissa was practically giddy with excitement at the thought that her best friend might be returning to her soon. In her mind, the letter from Gringotts practically confirmed that the women from Marguerite's memory were her friends.

* * *

At the same time Narcissa was receiving the contract from Gringotts, Hermione was opening her eyes in Bill's old room in the Burrow. Her night had been restless; she found it nearly impossible to sleep without Draco at her side. After Harry's birthday party, she had said goodbye to everyone and packed up all of her possessions. Hermione stared at the ceiling for a moment and hoped that her day would go well and that the Healers would be able to fix her parent's memories. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched in the twin-sized bed. Her hand came in contact with a small package. She quickly sat up and avoided touching it again.

Wrapped in plain, brown paper and tied with string was a box; it appeared to be just slightly larger than a wand box. Attached to the box was a letter addressed to Hermione Granger. Hermione pointed her wand at the letter and package and said, "Specialis Revelio." With no markings on the package, Hermione was worried that it could be a dark, cursed object. When the spell revealed nothing, Hermione picked up the letter and opened it.

_August 10, 1980_

_My most precious daughter,_

_It is so hard for me to write you this letter. You will only be able to remember yourself as Hermione Jean Granger. But that is not really who you are; and your father and I are not really Henry and Jean Granger. You were born in a very dark time in Wizarding history and unfortunately into a family with ties too close to the Dark Lord. Your father and I wanted to do everything we could to protect you. Your uncles and aunt wanted to raise you to follow and serve the Dark Lord and we couldn't allow that. I know the pure-blood mentality well; and while I am sure living life as a Muggle-born witch wasn't easy, it was definitely the better alternative to a life of servitude to the Dark Lord. _

_I'm sending you a package along with this letter. I shrunk down a large trunk and inside it you will find everything that is dear to me; our wands are also in the package. Your father and I have memory and special appearance charms placed on us which will need to be lifted. You only have an appearance charm. I fear telling you our real background, for I'm certain you will have learned about our family in a negative light. I want to assure you that your father and I did not support the Dark Arts and unless she figured a way out of it, your Godmother was forced to support them, though she did not want to at all. _

_I think I will start with our appearances rather than our names. In my trunk is a picture of our family taken yesterday. You and I have black hair and blue eyes. Your father had curly black hair and green eyes. You look just like I did as a baby, with the exception of your father's ears. I had our appearances changed to be more ordinary. I wanted us to blend in with the crowd, to appear to be normal Muggles. When the charm is lifted, you may become taller and your hair and eye color will change, but otherwise you shouldn't change much. I couldn't bear to change your looks too drastically. Your father's and my appearance will alter more than yours; but if you look at the picture closely, you will see quite a few similarities in our assumed appearances. _

_I guess I will tell you next about your father and me. Your father and I were Head Boy and Girl when we were at Hogwarts and we've been together since Fifth Year. We were always competing for grades. He was in Ravenclaw and I was in Slytherin. I'm sure you aren't in Slytherin, what with the appearance of being Muggle-born and everything. Maybe you're in Ravenclaw like your father. But if you're both cunning and intelligent you may have ended up in Gryffindor. Don't worry; we'll still love you if you're in Hufflepuff. Your father and I were married for five years before you were born. He worked in the Department of Mysteries and I stayed at home because that's what was expected of me as a respectable pure-blooded woman. Your father's cousin served the Dark Lord and so did my father, my two brothers, and my sister-in-law._

_I guess this is the point where I tell you who you really are. Your real name is Lyra Artemis Prince. Your father is Alexander Magnus Prince and I am Artemis Astraea Prince. Your father's only living relative is Severus Snape, his father and Severus' mother were siblings and both passed before you were born. My only living relatives are my brothers, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, and my sister-in-law Bellatrix. My brothers and Bella are some of the Dark Lord's most faithful servants. _

_I mentioned your Godmother earlier. She was my best friend and she helped to hide us from my brothers when we wanted to escape the Wizarding world. Narcissa has no choice but to follow the Dark Lord as Lucius Malfoy, her husband, does and because she loves him she will stay with him. Cissy would do anything to keep us safe and to keep her new son, Draco, from harm. You may know Draco, he's my Godson; and Cissy and I hoped you two would be able to have a future together. Your fathers even created a betrothal contract to join our families. Your futures may be completely different than we imagined. You or Draco may already be married. I know I never imagined that my future would include hiding._

_In the trunk you received, is my diary. Please read it, as it will explain more about the reasons I'm choosing this life for us; and it will tell you more about our real past. I suggest starting at June 30, 1980 for the most pertinent information. If it's safe to do so, please lift the charms from our family. Professor Dumbledore created special spells for our family that will be locked until the correct incantation is said by either you or Cissy if you are too young. The incantation is hidden on the back of a picture in Malfoy Manor. The picture will be Cissy's last reminder of our happy times together. She will know the password to reveal the incantation. Cissy will be receiving a letter at the same time you do; I have also asked her for help. You can trust her; we owe her our lives. If something has happened to her, I have charmed the picture to appear in our vault where the incantation will only become visible with a drop of your blood. Please forgive me my precious daughter. I love you and want the best life for you._

_Love,_

_Your mother, Artemis_

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the letter in her hand for at least ten minutes. Her jaw had dropped open and her mind went into overdrive as she tried to process everything she had read. Eventually she moved and the package that was sitting on the bed next to her shifted, drawing her attention to it. She slowly unwrapped it and then opened the box. An eleven inch mahogany wand and a ten inch elm wand rested on a soft cloth next to a miniature trunk. The trunk looked as small as the radishes that Luna liked to wear for earrings. She placed the trunk on the floor and pointed her wand at it and said, "Engorgio."

The trunk expanded to about a quarter of the size of Hermione's school trunk. She pointed her wand at the lock and said, "Alohamora." The trunk lid popped open and Hermione peered inside it. She saw a bag of Galleons, pictures, jewelry, a key, books, and a diary. She carefully picked up the diary and looked at the cover. The initials A. A. P. were inscribed in the cover and she easily unlocked the diary with the same spell that had opened the trunk.

She flipped through the diary until she came upon the entry suggested by the letter. She began to read.

_June 30, 1980_

_Lyra and I just returned home from visiting Cissy and Draco. He is such a handsome baby and Lyra seemed quite taken with him as well. Well, as taken as a nine-month old can be. She sat with him in his crib for an hour and smiled and touched his hand. It was adorable. I hope that they will be able to be together someday. Alexander told me that he and Lucius created a betrothal contract for Lyra and Draco. I hope to be alive to see them happily married someday. _

_I really fear for our future though. Rabastan, Rodolphus, and Bella were here last night to visit Lyra and to give me my deadline. My brothers have told me I have until Lyra turns one before our family must join the Dark Lord and take his mark. Alexander doesn't want to join him either. Cissy doesn't have much of a choice if she wants to protect Draco. Lucius did tell her that she doesn't have to get the mark; but because she loves Lucius, she will have to be outwardly loyal to the Dark Lord. She's trying to help me figure out a plan to escape my brothers. _

…

_August 5, 1980_

_Lyra and I have been spending as much time as possible with Cissy and Draco lately. Every time I see my brothers, all they tell me is how much time I have left before I must follow the Dark Lord and how Lyra will make a great servant to him someday. Even though I don't agree with what they believe, Rodolphus and Rabastan are my brothers and I love them; I hate to think that soon we won't remember them at all. I just hope our plans work._

_After many discussions and ideas, Alexander and I have decided it would be best for us to disappear from the Wizarding world. We need to leave everything behind and start a new life with new names and appearances. Alexander knows someone who will help us with memory charms. Gilderoy Lockhart is only going into his sixth year at Hogwarts; but he's a Ravenclaw and Alexander says he is the only wizard we can trust to do the spell correctly. Apparently he has done some work for the Department of Mysteries this summer._

_Alexander and I have devised a rather elaborate plan to modify or Obliviate everyone's memories. First, I will Obliviate Cissy's memory of her part in planning our disappearance. Second, I will be changing our appearance before we meet with Lockhart in a Muggle inn. Once he has modified our memories using a false memory charm with the exact story I have written for him, he will send us on our way to our new life. Third, Lockhart's payment will be in a sealed bag that will not be able to be opened until after we have left the inn. Once he opens the bag, a memory charm will be released and his memory of all of his dealings with our family will be Obliviated. _

_I know it would be easier to just go into hiding and skip over all of the memory modification; but I know that if Alexander and I retain the knowledge that we can perform magic, we will never fit into the Muggle world. I know we'll slip and if the Ministry of Magic is ever infiltrated, we could be discovered. I could just Obliviate our memories, but I want my memories back someday. I don't want to completely forget my life, so I think this is the best way._

_It's going to be sad to leave this life, but we need to do it for Lyra. She will probably rejoin the Wizarding world when she's eleven, but at least she won't be known as a Prince or a Lestrange. Hopefully that will protect her. Tomorrow I'm going to Hogwarts to see if I can get more help from the Headmaster. _

…

_August 10, 1980_

_I have figured out the final details as to how to disappear without a trace. I went to Hogwarts on the pretense of seeing Professor Slughorn. Since he's the Head of Slytherin House and I occasionally return to Hogwarts to talk about various potions with him, my visit didn't raise any suspicions. I saw Professor Dumbledore first and he gave me some spells to use to help us. He assured me that the _Protegat et Abscondere_ spells, which he created, will protect us, and especially Lyra as she grows. The spells will bind Alexander's and my magic, alter our appearance, and prevent anyone in the Wizarding world from being able to track us. I considered a simple appearance charm, but it might not hold as Lyra ages and could be accidently reversed. This charm will even hold up against the Thief's Downfall in Gringotts. Professor Dumbledore's spells will be locked in place and can only be lifted by using the correct incantation that he created. _

_I am going to put everything in a special trunk that I want protected; and I have some letters for Lyra, Cissy, and Draco that will get sent if the Dark Lord is ever really gone. Professor Dumbledore seems to think that the Dark Lord has a way of preserving himself, so the items will be protected with another charm of his creation. The package and letters will not get delivered until three months have passed after he is positively dead. I think that will be the only way to come home safely. By then any extra Death Eater activity should have calmed. I hope. _

_Tonight is our last night in the Wizarding world. I have set up a back story for our new life; and tomorrow we are meeting Lockhart to modify our memories. Tomorrow night we will be Muggle dentists who are just moving to York after finishing our schooling. Alexander found a spell in the Department of Mysteries that has given us the knowledge needed to practice dentistry. I set up a modest home today while Cissy watched Lyra. I transferred some of our gold to pounds, but left most of it in Gringotts. I'm putting our vault key in the trunk; maybe someday we will be able to get it back. _

_This is my last entry. Tomorrow morning I will shrink the trunk and place it and our wands in a charmed package, along with the letter I have written to Lyra, as she will most likely be the only active witch in the family when the Dark Lord is gone. If she is not yet eleven, Cissy will receive everything except the letter. I will send the package to Gringotts with our owl where it will be concealed within our vault. The letters to Draco and Cissy have already been charmed and sent to our vault. I have had to deal with so many different details that I pray that this all works and our family will be safe. _

The remaining pages of the diary were blank and after flipping through them, Hermione closed the diary and stared at the cover. She was frozen as she tried to process everything she had read and learned. Twenty minutes passed before she became aware of her surroundings again. She put the diary back in the trunk, waved her wand to fix her hair and change her pajamas into the clothes she had set out the night before, and then shrunk her mother's old trunk and her own trunk. She grabbed the letter, slipped the two trunks into her beaded handbag, and ran down the stairs. All the Weasleys were already gone for the day and Hermione didn't waste any extra time at the Burrow before Flooing directly to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

Narcissa was halfway through writing her letter to their lawyer, Mr. Avocat when an envelope appeared on the desk in front of her. There had been no owl to deliver it or any sound to announce its arrival. It simply materialized in the middle of the piece of parchment on which she was writing. The outside of the envelope simply said, "Cissy" in elegant, familiar script.

Her breath caught in her throat and with a shaking hand she picked up the envelope. She traced the letters in her nickname before she carefully opened it. Narcissa closed her eyes as she removed the letter from the envelope and held it tightly to her chest. Swallowing thickly, she opened her eyes and began to read.

_August 10, 1980_

_Dearest Cissy,_

_It's A.P.! I hope this letter finds you in a better place than you were when I wrote it. If you are receiving this, than the Dark Lord really must be gone. If he's still around, than I did the spell wrong and please hide this letter until he absolutely, positively is gone. The rest of this letter will only be revealed if you use our favorite spell from Hogwarts. _

Narcissa was still shaking a bit as she picked up her wand. She took a deep breath, pointed her wand at the letter and said, "Muffliato." Words filled the rest of the parchment.

_So you did remember the spell! If we're still alive, we're living as Jean and Henry Granger. Lyra is known as Hermione Granger. Our memories have been modified, our appearances altered, and our only connection to the Wizarding world will be through Lyra. We'll be living in York and working as Muggle dentists. If Lyra is not yet eleven, you will be receiving a box which I would like back once I have my memories returned to me. Regardless of her age, Lyra will receive a letter with more instructions that will help. Please find us and help us return to the Wizarding world. I miss you Cissy._

_All my love,_

_Artemis _

Narcissa finished the letter with wide, excited eyes. She looked up to the sky where Draco was flying. Though Alexander had not wanted to join the Dark Lord, he had wanted to join his daughter to Draco. He and Lucius had been thrilled the day they had filled out the betrothal contract. When she had received the contract from Gringotts, she had feared Draco's reaction to Lyra reappearing in his life now. Once again his life would be ruined because of someone else's choices. However, it appeared that everything was going to fall into place perfectly. She threw the letter she had been writing to Mr. Avocat into the fire behind her desk.

* * *

As he flew around the land belonging to Malfoy Manor, Draco was ignorant of the revelations the women in his life were experiencing. In fact, he was completely lost in thoughts of Hermione. He was balanced perfectly on his broom, one hand barely holding onto it, while he focused on a small object in his other hand.

Draco put the object in his pocket not a moment too soon. The second he withdrew his hand from his pocket, a letter appeared on the handle of his broom. Reaching out, he grabbed it before it could blow away in the wind. He quickly landed and opened the letter with the unfamiliar handwriting on the front of it.

_August 10, 1980_

_Dear Draco,_

_This is a letter from your Godmother; if you are receiving this, then I will see you soon-hopefully. I have missed watching you grow and I look forward to being reunited with you. My little Lyra hopefully attends(ed) Hogwarts with you. You probably don't know much about her though, as she would have believed she was a Muggle-born. I'm sure you're a Slytherin like your parents and I were. It was both of our families' greatest wish that you and Lyra would marry and have a happy future together. We promised you to one another the day you were born. I want you to know that I love you and miss you._

_Love,_

_Artemis Prince _

Rage and desperation filled Draco as he read the letter proclaiming him to be promised to Lyra. He knew he was too upset to Apparate so instead he stormed across the grounds of the manor and into the house to find his mother.

* * *

A/N: Not too long (in comparison to other chapters); but including the next part put the chapter over 10,000 words.

Some people have guessed what was happening from the beginning; but hopefully some were surprised!

I haven't been receiving a lot of feedback and I'm not sure if anyone wants to read this anymore. I do have the next chapter pretty much finished as it is the second half of this one—it just needs a little more editing. Please let me know what you think and if I should even continue posting!

One word is all I need to know if I should continue—just finish the rest of this sentence: This chapter was...

Thank you!


	14. Reunions, Proposals, and Vegetable Avoid

_**Chapter Fourteen ~ Reunions, Proposals, and Vegetable Avoidance Charms**_

Hermione took the Floo straight to Malfoy Manor and was immediately greeted by Zippy the last of the Malfoy's house-elves that she had yet to meet. "Please, I need to see Draco or Narcissa immediately," she said distraught, clutching her letter in her hand.

Narcissa heard a commotion in the entrance hall and went to investigate. The two witches stared at one another. Narcissa looked as if she was about to burst into tears of joy. Hermione looked confused. The tears started to fall down Narcissa's cheeks as she closed the distance between them and embraced Hermione.

"Oh, my dear; I have missed you so much. I'm sure you're confused right now, but everything's going to be wonderful. Your life is going to change so much; but it's going to be great. Draco and I will be there for your family," Narcissa said through her happy tears. She lead Hermione into the den where they both cried and Narcissa answered some of Hermione's basic questions before they both heard Draco yelling as he came in from flying.

"Mother, where are you? I need to speak with you immediately! Mother?!" Draco yelled angrily.

"Wait here; he sounds upset," Narcissa said to Hermione. She walked into the hallway and said, "Draco, what's wrong? Why are you yelling?"

"You wanted me to marry Lyra? I get this letter and now since they're coming back into our lives I have to give up whom I love just so I can marry _her_? They've been gone for eighteen years; do you still want me to marry Lyra?" Draco asked furiously as he shook the letter he held in his fist.

"Of course I still want you to marry Lyra. It was always the plan, Draco. I received the reinstated betrothal contract this morning. But you-" Narcissa was interrupted by Draco again.

"I don't want to marry her. I don't love her. I don't even know her. What about Hermione? Don't you care about what I want?" Draco said hysterically.

"Draco, of course I care. Hermione is -," Narcissa tried to speak again and once again was interrupted.

"Hermione is the one I love and want to marry and I'll be damned of I let you tear us apart. What happened to 'You can marry whomever you want, blood-status doesn't matter?' Now that a pure-blooded witch shows up, you couldn't wait to take that back, could you? Just because you had some stupid arrangement eighteen years ago doesn't mean that I'm going to honour it now," Draco yelled.

Hermione stepped into the hallway just as Narcissa said sternly, "Draco Lucius Malfoy!"

"Draco, calm down a bit," Hermione tried to talk to him. Draco turned quickly toward the sound of Hermione's voice. He started to move toward her when he saw her. The expression on his face was a cross between being heartbroken and relieved to see her.

"I'm so glad to see you Hermione. I just found out that I'm supposed to marry someone named—" Draco was interrupted.

"Lyra; I know," she said as she moved to stand next to Narcissa, who put her arm around the younger witch's shoulders.

"How do you know that? I only just found out a few minutes ago," Draco asked in shock holding up his letter. Narcissa shook her head.

"What's going on here, Mother? First you tell me I have to marry Lyra, whom I don't even know and now you're hugging Hermione whom I do love and want to marry. Did you invite her here to make me break up with her? And how does Hermione even know that I'm supposed to marry Lyra? " Draco asked. He was so confused.

"Draco, if you would just stop ranting for ten seconds then you would understand. You _are_ supposed to marry Lyra; and Hermione, I think you should tell Draco why you know that." Narcissa felt like Hermione should be the one to tell Draco the whole truth.

"No, don't say anything. I have something I want to say first. I don't give a damn about the marriage contract to Lyra and I will fight it until it doesn't exist anymore. Hermione, I love you. I know it's crazy and I know it's early in our relationship; but I know without a doubt that I want you to be my wife. I'm nothing without you. Any problems we have, we will face together. Together we will thrive. Hermione Jean Granger, will you do me the great honour of marrying me?" Draco threw his letter to the ground as he dropped to his knee in front of her.

Hermione's eyes had filled with tears as she listened to Draco's proposal. "You know I want to marry you, Draco; but in the end, you'll marry Lyra," Hermione said cryptically.

"What? Why would you say that Hermione? We can figure out a solution," Draco said, his eyes begging for the truth.

"Draco, I know that you're to marry Lyra, because I just found out that _I_ am Lyra. My parents aren't Muggles; they were in hiding from Voldemort. I got this letter this morning along with a package," Hermione said as she handed her letter to Draco. He looked at Hermione and his mother and then to the letter now in his hand. He walked into the den, sat down in a chair and read the letter.

When he was finished, he looked up at the two witches who were now sitting in the den across from him. His mouth was agape and he tried to form words toward Hermione but only managed for his mouth to open and close a few times.

"Sit like that for about ten more minutes and you'll understand exactly what I went through earlier this morning," Hermione said to him.

"So you're really Lyra?" Draco asked still in shock. Hermione nodded. His shock turned to concern as he realized how big of a change the course of Hermione's life had just taken. He stood up and crossed the room to sit next to her. He took both of her hands in his and asked, "How are you handling all of this? I'm in shock, so I can't even begin to imagine how you feel right now."

Hermione's face held a blank expression for a moment and then she began to laugh. Draco's eyes widened and he looked to his mother to see if she understood what was happening. Narcissa shrugged her shoulders and gave Draco a bewildered look. Hermione laughed so hard tears began to fall from her eyes and she snorted once. His eyebrows rose as his forehead crinkled and he asked, "Hermione? Are you okay? Mother I think she's becoming hysterical."

In between laughs, she sputtered, "Trelawney!" Draco was even more confused now. "What about her?" he asked. Hermione stopped laughing enough to catch her breath and say, "Samantha Trelawney. Our fortune. This is what she meant about the mire becoming clear. I was a Mudblood and now I am a pure-blood. Oh Draco, I think she is a real seer!" Glad that she wasn't going crazy, Draco began to laugh with her. "I take it you are alright with this?" he asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and said, "You know, I think I will be." She gasped as another realization hit her. "I broke into my own family's vault at Gringotts. Oh my goodness, I'm a Lestrange. And a Prince; I was related to Snape! It all makes sense now. I was supposed to be in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat had a hard time trying to decide where to put me. It said, 'Where to put you? You have the thirst for knowledge so Ravenclaw might be best; but it just isn't where you belong. You really belong in the house where your mo—where you're most suited. It should be—no, I can't do that or it would all be for nothing. In this case I guess it will have to be Gryffindor!' I never imagined the real reason the Sorting Hat had a hard time deciding."

"What do we do now?" Draco asked still holding her hands in his.

"Well, now that you aren't under pressure to propose, you can wait until the time is right. The contract says we have to be married by the end of the month; but I'm sure we can find some way to extend it due to the circumstances. You don't have to rush this, Draco. I know you didn't want to propose this morning; you just didn't want to lose me," Hermione said with a small smile. Internally she was sad that his proposal would be retracted. She wanted more than anything to be engaged to him.

"I _was_ going to propose to you today; that's why I went to our vault this morning and searched through all the jewelry until I found the perfect ring for you. I realized last night, as I tossed and turned in my empty bed, that I need you at my side. I don't want to wait to start our lives together when we can start them now. I don't want to return to Hogwarts with you as my girlfriend or my fiancée. I want to return with you as my wife.

This morning, before I went to Gringotts, I went to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall wasn't exactly thrilled to see me; apparently she had wanted to sleep in later than six in the morning. She did however cheer up a bit when she found out why I was there. They haven't been used in a couple of centuries and they're not mentioned in Hogwarts, A History; but there are married quarters located between all the houses, which will work out perfectly with us as Head Students."

Draco paused his speech to drop to his knee again. "So I choose _now_ as the right time to propose. Hermione, Lyra, my love. Everything I do is better when I do it with you. Everywhere I go is better when I go there with you. Everything I see is better when I see it with you. Every minute that I'm with you, I wish I could freeze time so that I wouldn't have to live a minute without you. You make me a better man because I always want to be the best for you. I don't deserve to have your love; but I will show you every second of every day for the rest of our lives that I'm thankful you chose to give me your love. Will you do me the great honour of marrying me?" Draco asked while holding out a platinum ring with a large round diamond in the center surrounded by emeralds in front of Hermione.

Tears were streaming down Hermione's face as she stared at the man she loved. "Yes Draco, yes I will marry you," she whispered. Draco stood up and slipped the ring onto Hermione's finger and brought their lips together.

Narcissa watched through her own tears as her son and goddaughter shared a kiss. It was a perfect moment and knowing that she would soon be reunited with her best friend made it that much better.

Draco brushed his hand through Hermione's hair as he kissed her. He pulled back with an elated smile on his face. He looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I love you so much."

Hermione stared back lovingly at Draco and answered, "I love you too."

The moment was interrupted when Haddie appeared with another letter for Narcissa. She opened it and scoffed before she said, "Well obviously."

Draco and Hermione gave her a questioning look and she held up the letter from Marguerite. The brief note simply read,_ Narcissa ~ The women from my memories returned early from their trip and I saw them in the city. I was mistaken; they are not Artemis and Lyra. I'm sorry for giving you false hope. I wish you the best of luck in your search.~ Marguerite _

Narcissa waved her wand and the letter flew into the fire. As the letter flew, she noticed the picture she had saved during the remodel of the manor. She summoned the picture to her and pulled off the back of the frame and removed the picture. "She said you'd know the spell to reveal the incantation," Hermione said as Narcissa stared at the back of the picture that appeared to be blank.

With a small smile, Narcissa pointed her wand at the picture and said once again, "Muffliato." The back of the picture filled with words.

_There are three spells that need to be broken and they must cast in the following order:_

_Alligamenta Liberavero_

_Necnon Saltationibus Personatis Dissolvere_

_Finis Incantamenta Absconditi_

Hermione studied the list and commented, "I've never seen these spells before today. I know enough Latin to know that it roughly means 'release the bindings, dissolve the disguises, and end the hidden spells.' My mother's diary said that Professor Dumbledore created these spells himself. Was my mother that close to him that he would create these just for her?"

Narcissa smiled and said, "Being close to him would have been dangerous to both of them; but I believe she was one of the few Slytherins during the first war that ever asked him for help. They had always respected one another so it wouldn't surprise me if he created the spells just for her. Would you like me to break the spells on you now?"

Hermione chewed on her lower lip as she thought about Narcissa's question. Draco had been silent as he listened to his mother and new fiancée. Hermione shook her head slowly and said, "Not yet. I think I'd like to go to St. Mungo's as Hermione Jean Granger. I'd like my parents to be returned to their real lives before I become Lyra Artemis Prince."

Narcissa nodded once and replied, "That sounds fair. May I come with you to St. Mungo's? It's been nearly eighteen years since I've seen my best friend and I don't want to wait any longer."

"Of course you should come. Let's go now. The 48 hours are nearly over and I want to be there when they awake," Hermione stated.

The group made their way to the fireplace and took the Floo to St. Mungo's where the Prince family would finally be reunited.

* * *

Healer Rememberall and another man were casting various spells over Hermione's parents when they entered the room. They were just waking up and the Healers were shaking their heads. Healer Rememberall's assistant left the room as Hermione, Draco, and Narcissa entered.

"I don't know why this didn't work. It always works. We've separated the latest charm that was cast on them; and we found that the other spells at work were from many years ago, but we don't know what they are. I don't know what to tell you Miss Granger. We'll remove the memory charm you cast; but I don't know if it will fix them without knowing what the other spells are," Healer Rememberall said dejectedly.

Hermione looked around the room and said, "Since you're the only Healer in the room, can we keep it that way? We know what the other spells are; but we would like to keep it quiet. They aren't traditional spells and when they're reversed, there could be some issues if too many people witness the results. If you can reverse the memory charm I placed on them, Lady Malfoy will reverse the other spells."

Healer Rememberall nodded, locked the door, and began a series of complex wand movements and chanting.

An orange glow settled upon Hermione's parents and within seconds of it dissipating, they both gasped. "Henry, I remember everything," Jean said. "I do too," Henry replied simply.

Hermione ran to embrace her parents. "Did you say something about other spells? We remember everything so what else is there?" Henry asked.

"And is that a ring on your finger?" Jean added.

Hermione gave them a sheepish smile and said, "Draco proposed this morning. There are other spells on you and I think it would be best to just have Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, remove them. You won't need explanations when she's finished."

Jean and Henry directed their attention to Narcissa and each gave her a calculating look. Narcissa was practically vibrating with excitement as she looked at Hermione's parents. Jean tipped her head to the side as she examined the wand Narcissa held in her hand and said slowly, "Okay."

Jean and Henry watched as Narcissa moved closer to them. Hermione pulled her parents' wands from her beaded handbag when Narcissa began speaking.

"I believe if you sit next to one another and hold hands, I will only have to say the spells once," Narcissa waited while Jean and Henry moved together and joined hands. "Alligamenta Liberavero. Necnon Saltationibus Personatis Dissolvere. Finis Incantamenta Absconditi."

White, blue, and purple bands of light shot out of Narcissa's wand and wound around Henry and Jean. The bands tightened around their bodies as they began to swirl faster and faster until they were absorbed. Henry and Jean's eyes closed and they fell backwards on the bed they were sitting on, their hands still joined. They began to glow bright pink and their bodies lifted off the bed. They hung in the air a few feet above the bed for half a minute before a yellow light moved from the top of their heads down to their feet. Once the light disappeared, they dropped gently down to the bed, their appearances completely altered. As soon as their backs hit the bed again, a red light burst from them and then dissipated. It was a few seconds before they both opened their eyes with a gasp.

They embraced each other without noticing anyone else in the room. "Alexander? Oh it worked. We're back and we're safe." Alexander nodded and held his wife close to him before releasing her so they could both sit up again.

Narcissa had tears streaming down her face. She held her hands over her mouth as she took in the appearances of the friends she had not seen in almost two decades. She lowered her hands to just below her mouth and whispered, "Artemis? Alexander?"

Artemis jumped from the bed and wrapped her arms around her friend as she exclaimed, "Cissy! You're here and you brought us back. Oh how I hated leaving you." The women held each other and sobbed. After a minute Artemis pulled back and turned toward Hermione and Draco. Alexander took Artemis's place in Narcissa's arms.

Slowly, the tall, striking, black haired woman walked toward the young couple. One hand slowly raised to touch Draco's cheek. "I hate that I missed watching you grow. You've become such a handsome young man, my godson."

Alexander joined Artemis and held out his hand to Draco. When Draco held out his own hand, Alexander said, "You helped my daughter and loved her when you believed her to be Muggle-born. I'm sorry for how I treated you when came to our home in Australia. Even though I did choose you for my daughter eighteen years ago, I don't believe I could have found a better man for her. Congratulations on your engagement."

Draco smiled and replied, "Thank you sir. I love her, whether she's Hermione or Lyra."

Artemis held Hermione's face in her hands and asked, "Who do you want to be? Hermione or Lyra? We can keep your appearance like this if you'd like. We will love you either way and will understand if you don't want to change."

Hermione took a deep breath and thought about what she wanted. She looked between the happy faces of her parents and Narcissa and the content face of Draco.

"I'll always be Hermione even if my name and appearance are Lyra. I want to be the real me, so I'd like the spell lifted," she said confidently.

Artemis hesitantly picked up her wand and waved it a few times. She made the beds and summoned and then banished the pillow from the bed. She charmed Alexander's hair white before fixing it. And last she transfigured the cord that tied the curtains open into a snake. With a nod and a wink toward Narcissa she turned it back into a cord. "Okay. I didn't want to test my first spell in eighteen years on you," Artemis told Hermione.

Artemis brought Hermione to the bed and had her sit on it. "I will only have to use the last two spells since your magic wasn't bound like your father's and mine. Try to relax; the magic will do the rest," she told her.

Artemis raised her wand and said, "Necnon Saltationibus Personatis Dissolvere. Finis Incantamenta Absconditi."

Hermione's eyes closed and she fell backwards on the bed. She began to glow pink and her body lifted off the bed and the yellow light moved over her body. When she dropped to the bed her hair had turned straight and black, her body shape changed slightly. Her chest grew a bit and her hips narrowed. Her body was a little thinner and somewhat more toned. She also grew about two inches. When the red light burst from her, everyone held their breath until she moved again.

Draco moved close to the bed and gently touched her hand. Dark blue eyes met his grey ones and they stared at one another. Draco broke the silence by saying, "You're beautiful Lyra. I love you so much."

Lyra smiled and stood up from the bed. She didn't have to stretch quite as far as she used to in order to kiss Draco. When she pulled back from the kiss she replied, "I love you too."

The sound of a throat clearing had everyone turning around trying to find the source.

"What, uh, what just happened? Who are all of you people and what kind of spells were those?" Healer Rememberall questioned from the corner of the room. He had been shocked into silence until that point.

Alexander stepped forward and said, "You've met Draco Malfoy and this is his mother, Lady Narcissa Malfoy. For the past eighteen years my family has been hiding in the Muggle world as the Granger family. The spells you just saw were created by Albus Dumbledore for our protection. You didn't know how to reverse them because they had never been used before we needed them. Allow me to introduce my family. My name is Alexander Magnus Prince, this is my wife Artemis Astraea Lestrange Prince, and our daughter Lyra Artemis Prince."

Healer Rememberall began to shake. "Prince? Are you a relation to Severus Snape?" he asked cautiously.

Alexander nodded and said, "Yes, he was my cousin."

The Healer began to hyperventilate. "Malfoy, Prince, Lestrange. Death Eaters. Please don't kill me because I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I won't tell anyone anything. I have a family; they need me," he said panicked before he turned his wand on himself. Before anyone could stop him, he erased his memory of the previous half hour.

"What just happened?" Lyra asked, shocked at the Healer's reaction.

Artemis wrapped her arm around Lyra's shoulders and said, "Unfortunately he won't be the first to fear us. Our names carry a great association with Darkness and we'll have to prove that we are different than our families. Cissy, can you convince him that he lifted the spells while I change our appearances back to that of the Grangers? I think it would be best if we left here looking like we did when we arrived. Maybe that way we can avoid other problems until we figure out a way to reappear in a positive light."

Narcissa nodded and talked to Healer Rememberall while Artemis altered her family's appearances. Draco smiled at his fiancée. He truly loved her no matter what she looked like. "Come home with us. Our home is yours as long as you need it," he said to Alexander who once again resembled Henry Granger. Alexander and Artemis nodded in response.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I believe you are free to go. Everything checks out and all those pesky charms that caused you avoid serving peas, broccoli, lima beans, and parsnips for dinner have been removed. I believe it must have been accidental magic from Hermione whenever you served something she didn't like as a child. I'm sorry it took so long to figure it out; we assumed it was more difficult than a simple avoidance charm. I say simple, but in reality it was a very strong charm. You have one talented daughter. Good luck in the future to all of you," Healer Rememberall said as he guided the group out of the room.

As soon as the group had taken the Floo back to Malfoy Manor and Artemis had removed the appearance charms once again, Draco gave his mother a questioning look. "A strong vegetable avoidance charm?" he asked skeptically.

Narcissa shrugged and replied, "I needed multiple charms to explain all those colors you told me about. The only witch the Grangers supposedly had contact with was Hermione and she could only remember the memory charms she recently cast. Accidental magic was the simplest solution, and one that is often overlooked. You frequently cast vegetable avoidance charms on the house-elves when you were a toddler, Draco. It was the best I could do under pressure."

Artemis was looking around the foyer and exclaimed, "Cissy, this is beautiful. What else have you done to the Manor?"

"Let me take you and Alexander on a tour. I'm sure Lyra and Draco can find something to do without us. Come, see what Draco and I have done this summer," Narcissa said while leading them into the house.

Draco brought Lyra into the den where they collapsed onto a couch. He sat sideways, facing her. He stared at her without saying anything for a few minutes. Lyra began to feel uneasy, wondering what he was thinking. "Does it bother you that I'm no longer Hermione Granger?" she questioned him.

Draco took her hands in his and rubbed his thumb across the engagement ring that he had placed on her finger less than two hours earlier. He slowly shook his head as he stared into her eyes and said, "I was worried that I would feel differently about you when you no longer looked like Hermione. But when I look at you now, even though your hair is straight and black and your eyes are blue, all I can see is the woman I love. I didn't fall in love with your appearance; I fell in love with you. Your name may have changed, but by marrying me it would have anyway. Instead of Hermione Malfoy, you'll be Lyra Malfoy. You're still the smartest and most incredible witch I know and you're still a courageous Gryffindor that would do anything for her family and friends. I can't wait to marry you. Does it bother you to no longer be Hermione Granger?"

Without hesitation she answered, "No. It feels right to be Lyra. I'm still me, just with a different name and a different look. I'm just worried about how my friends will react. I _was_ worried about how you felt; but I'm not anymore. I have you, your mother, and my parents. Even if no one else accepts me as Lyra, I'll have enough support here."

"Of course we'll support you. And your friends will accept you, don't worry about that," Draco said with a kiss to Lyra's forehead.

"Maybe if I tell my friends first, looking like Hermione, it will go over better. Ron especially likes to jump to conclusions and if I look like I used to, he might take it better. Once they know the truth, maybe Kingsley can set up a press conference and the real truth can be revealed now that Rita's in Azkaban," Lyra said thoughtfully.

Draco frowned for a moment before he said, "Why don't you invite everyone here for dinner tonight and we can tell them all at the same time. I'll even invite my Aunt Andromeda and Teddy. You might want to include Professor McGonagall too."

"That's a wonderful idea," Lyra exclaimed. She wasted no time before conjuring her Patronus and sending the message to everyone she wanted to invite. The positive replies were almost immediate.

Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. "After I tell Harry and Ron, maybe they can help arrange a visit with your father in Azkaban? I would love to see his face when he thinks you're marrying Hermione Granger. We can tell him the truth if you'd like; but I want him to have at least a few moments of panic," she said excitedly.

Draco laughed and said, "If it can be arranged we'll go; but if not, we'll at least send him a letter. You really should have been in Slytherin." Draco paused to send a Patronus to his mother telling her not to tell Lucius about the Prince family's return and to inform her of their dinner company.

As soon as their messages were sent, Draco put his arms around her and held her close and tried to memorize the way her slightly different body felt pressed against his. He ran one of his hands through her long black hair that reached over halfway down her back. His other hand rubbed her hip and drifted lower to hitch her leg across his lap and pull her closer. From her perch on his lap she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Using the hand that was still wound in her hair, Draco tilted Lyra's head to the side to deepen the kiss.

Time passed and their positions on the couch changed. Almost an hour later, a shirtless Draco had Lyra lying on her back as he covered her body with his. Her legs had wrapped around his waist and her hands were in his hair. Draco's hands ventured up and down her sides and one had managed to slip under her shirt. His hand had almost made contact with her breast when he was hoisted upside down and suspended in the air by his ankle.

Lyra's head whipped toward the doorway as she tried to sit up and straighten her clothes at the same time. Alexander stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face and his wand pointed at Draco. Narcissa and Artemis were clinging to each other as they silently laughed, tears streaming down their faces. Lyra stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Daddy, put him down," she exclaimed.

With a shrug he cancelled the jinx and Draco fell onto the couch. "I needed to practice my non-verbal spells. It's been awhile and I thought I'd be rusty. Apparently I'm not! Besides, ever since Severus taught me that one I've wanted to find a good reason to use it. My daughter being groped was the perfect excuse," he said without remorse.

"Alexander, give them a break. They just got engaged this morning. If I remember correctly you were just as enthusiastic when we were their age. They'll be married before the month is out and I know my Lyra. I trust her," Artemis said with a smile as she curled herself into Alexander's side.

Once Draco had put his shirt back on and the blush on his cheeks had faded, he said, "We got positive replies from everyone for dinner tonight. Are you all ready to reveal yourselves?"

Artemis, Alexander, and Lyra nodded. The group of five sat down and formed a plan for the evening.

Two hours later, the Prince family once again resembled the Grangers as they all waited for everyone to arrive. "Hermione?" the hesitant voice of Harry called out in the Manor.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured to Draco as they walked toward the foyer to face their guests.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know your favorite part—to help I'll give you a few choices!

A) Draco's first and second proposal

B) The Prince Family—finally reunited

C) Healer Rememberall fearing for his life and modifying his own memory

D) Draco being hoisted upside down by Alexander

E) (Fill in the blank!)

Please review to let me know you read it and hopefully liked it! Thank you!


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